EL CENTRO— Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol paid tribute to highway workers who lost their lives in the line of duty during a memorial ceremony Tuesday morning, April 14, at the Caltrans El Centro Maintenance Yard on 1102 Montenegro Way. The memorial started at 10 a.m.
Paulina Sierra, Caltrans information officer, sang both the national anthem and the concluding hymn, “Amazing Grace.” The honor guard solemnly carried the wreath to the front near the lectern.
Orange cones, arrayed in several straight lines, pointed toward a black cone near the wreath. In the center of the wreath, a photograph depicted a highway with orange cones behind a black cone, printed “Highway Workers Memorial 2026.”
Each cone represented a fallen highway worker. Through the years from 1921 to 2026, there have been 195 highway workers in San Diego and Imperial counties who lost their lives.
More than a dozen Caltrans highway workers, wearing bright orange shirts or vests, took turns reading the names of fallen workers who died in the line of duty. Each orange cone displayed the name of a fallen worker.
As highway maintenance lead worker Tommy Neri read the names of fallen workers, his thoughts were on their loved ones.
Tommy Neri, highway maintenance lead worker, reads the names of fallen highway workers during the “Highway Workers Memorial 2026” at the Caltrans El Centro Maintenance Yard at 1102 Montenegro Way on April 14.
“We got families. We want to go home to our families. All we ask — when you see us working on the side of the road, please pull over,” Neri said.
In his invocation, Navy Chaplain Lt. Jericho Bertholet of Naval Air Facility El Centro offered a moment of silence for the departed highway workers.
“Thank you for those men and women who have given everything while doing a job that benefited each and every one of us,” Bertholet said. “I would pray that you continue to pour out your comfort and your peace. Help us to put their needs and safety above our desire to hit the easy button. How easy it is to answer a text. How easy it is to scroll through songs looking for that favorite tune or station to drive by.”
“We honor the sacrifices made by those who have fallen in the line of duty while keeping our transportation system open, accessible, safe and functioning for everyone,” said Caltrans District 11 Division Chief of Maintenance Shawn Rizzutto.
Shawn Rizzutto, Caltrans District 11 Division Chief of Maintenance, delivers his message on highway safety during the “Highway Workers Memorial 2026” at the Caltrans El Centro Maintenance Yard at 1102 Montenegro Way on Tuesday, April 14.
“Our top priority when maintaining and constructing our highways is the safety of the traveling public and our workers.”
Rizzutto acknowledged the partnership between Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol. Both agencies share difficult responsibilities working on roads and highways. “It’s one of the most dangerous jobs.”
In her address to attendees, Caltrans District 11 Director Ann Fox said, “This ceremony is about remembering our fallen Caltrans family members and reminding the public that the people who build and maintain our highways are your neighbors, your friends, your family.”
“Safety is our priority and it begins with each one of us.”
“However, Caltrans can’t do it alone. This is a shared responsibility. We urge the traveling public to not drive distracted,” Fox said.
She also appealed to motorists to pay close attention to signs, cones, striping and other installations on highways, and to reduce speeds in work zones.
“We’re increasing enforcement in our work zones. We will take decisive action against those who speed, drive distracted or operate recklessly,” said Capt. Ernesto Ruedas of the California Highway Patrol El Centro Area.
“This is not just about enforcement. It is about protecting lives. Every citation we issue, every stop we make, is done with one goal in mind — ensuring that every worker goes home safely at the end of the shift and that every driver is safe,” Ruedas said.
“The greatest way we can honor them is through action: a proactive approach to safety and by embracing a culture of awareness and responsibility,” said Hazard Construction Project Manager Fausto Gonzalez.
According to Gonzalez, highway workers wear the same orange and yellow vest. “It brings us together as one team with a single mission: to improve and maintain our roads safely and responsibly.”