April 23, 2026

By Lane Kimble

MADISON — The hum of bagpipes and the pop of a snare drum started up, hitting Terry McGowan like a wave.

“It is very emotional.  Bagpipes bring out the emotion in me to begin with,” McGowan said.

The Operating Engineers Local 139 President was one of dozens of people wearing hard hats and reflective vests, gathered on the Menona Terrace on Thursday afternoon in downtown Madison.

The event marked the 11th annual Construction Workers Memorial Procession and Service, which includes a solemn march along the Capitol square, ending up at St. Patrick’s Church a few blocks away.

Among the crowd were people who have lost family members in construction accidents.

“To know that the family is marching with us and to know that they’ve lost a loved one and to know that any one of us in this parade may someday fall victim to a fatal accident, there’s a lot of emotions when we’re walking together like that,” McGowan said.

All seven people killed in Wisconsin work zones in 2025 were drivers and passengers, but two construction workers died in separate crashes in 2024.

Onlookers paused to take photos and video, with some even removing their hats and placing them over their hearts.

“I’m just very grateful to all the people that show up to this,” McGowan said.  “There’s a lot of solidarity.”