One of the busiest years ever for Iowa highway construction is wrapping up with 10 people killed in work zone crashes, although overall traffic fatalities statewide are trending downward, according to state officials.

As Iowa motorists begin to hit the road for Thanksgiving, the Iowa Department of Transportation is nearing the end of a 2017 construction season that included work on $680 million worth of projects. That's just shy of last year's record-breaking $695 million spent on road projects.

The 10 deaths in work zone accidents in 2017 includes three road construction workers, and it's the second consecutive year with above average fatalities. Last year, 13 people died in work zone crashes, including one road construction worker. Iowa has averaged 655 work zone accidents annually over the past decade and 6.8 fatalities per year.

Read the full article on the Des Moines Register website.