Connections: Aug. 23, 2012

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Vis i t h t t p : / / y o u t u . b e/ o CN M N a 9 Ux S s o r c l i c k a b o v e t o w a t c ht h e v i d e o o f K e i t h ' s g r a b b a g e x p e r i e n c e .

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Wi n n i n g $ 7 5 0 . 0 0 !The first Safety Jackpot cash drawing happened at theBoonville maintenance building during the crew’s morningmuster safety meeting. Crew Leader Keith Zey was the firstMoDOT employee to win a chance at the big grab bagdrawing that is part of t he new safety incentive program.Keith did an excellent job on this first draw by choosing bagsthat totaled $750.00, and he will receive a check for thatamount. The grab was a lot of fun, but everyone is asked to rememberwhat it’s really all about - safety. The incentive program isust one piece of the new Safety Culture and our zero injury

philosophy. Each month one lucky employee, who submitted their

Safety Jackpot cards the previous month, will be randomlyselected to try their hand at the grab bag. The monthly cash prizes range from $500.00 to $10,000.

Who will be next?

New Tang ib le Resu l t Reshap esTr a c k e r M e a su r e sby Holly Dentner

Over the last few months, MoDOT has been workingto update its performance management tool, Tracker,to ensure that the measures accurately drive ourperformance and help supervisors and seniormanagement make the best decisions for thedepartment.

Tracker is divided into chapters that are based on

MoDOT’s Tangible Results – things like uninterruptedtraffic flow, fast projects of great value, and efficientmovement of goods, to name a few. The TangibleResults are all things that MoDOT’s customers can seeas the department fulfills its mission.

With the July 2012 edition of Tracker, we’ve madesome significant changes, including the creation of a

new tangible result: “Great Workplace, Great Employees.” This new tangible result will help us focus on deliveringoutstanding customer service through an engaged, valued, and diverse workforce that is reflective of MoDOTcustomers. “Great Workplace, Great Employees” also means that MoDOT will continue to focus on providing opportunities tocontractors and vendors that reflect the customers, communities, and cultures we serve. A recent statewide survey showed that Missourians are satisfied with the job MoDOT is doing. That is a direct resultof the hard work of MoDOT’s outstanding workforce. “Great Workplace, Great Employees” will help us maintainthat satisfaction level in the future.

Overall, Tracker went from 118 measures to 105. While we added 19 new measures, 19 measures were eitherremoved, combined into other measures, or shifted to D-Tracker. All customer satisfaction measures wereconsolidated under “Outstanding Customer Service,” so we could easily correlate the feedback from our customers. Check out the new measures and read more about “Great Workplace, Great Employees” in the July 2012 Tracker (http://www.modot.org/about/Tracker.htm) .

AW O S Pr o j e ct I m p r o v e s Ai r Tr a f f i c Sa f e t yi n W e st e r n M i ss ou r iby DeAnne Rickabaugh

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T h e n e w AW O S Sy s t e m b e c o m e s a c t i v e i n M o s b y, M O .P h o t o b y D a v e B u r l e , Av i a t i o n P r o j e c t M a n a g e r.

A new Automated Surface Weather Observation System –more commonly known as an AWOS – was activated onAugust 7 at the Midwest National Air Center in Mosby,MO.

An AWOS is a highly sophisticated data sensing,processing and dissemination system that providesaccurate and up-to-date weather information essential tothe safe and economic operation of an airport. The stationscollect weather data that pilots use to make flightdecisions. The data includes:- Air temperature- Dew point- Barometric pressure- Wind speed- Peak wind gusts, wind direction and variability- Visibility and visibility variation- Thunderstorm and precipitation identification- Cloud layer information and density

MoDOT’s Multimodal Operations team administered thefederal grant that made this project possible.

The Mosby airport will maintain this station, howeverMoDOT owns and maintains 12 AWOS stations statewide.You can find a list of MoDOT stations and reports of

current weather data at www.modot.org/othertransportation/aviation/AWOS/AWOSMain.shtml

All other weather stations in Missouri and the nation are available on the Federal Aviation Administration’s site,www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos .

W h a t ' s H a p p en i n gMove Over Law Takes Effec t Nex t W eek

Beginning Tuesday, August 28, Missourians will notice new signsreminding motorists to slow down or change lanes when approachingemergency or maintenance vehicles parked on the shoulder. The top of the sign will feature black letters on a yellow background, drawingattention to the message and aligning Missouri’s sign design with thoseof other states.

The new law also includes certain MoDOT vehicles in the legaldefinition of emergency vehicles. Now, when responding to anemergency, MoDOT Motorist Assist or Emergency Response vehicleoperators can display red lights and use a siren. They will do so only toalert motorists stopped in an emergency traffic queue to yield the right-of-way.

" Ge t t o Know MoDOT" Mee t ings S lat ed fo r D i sadvan taged Bus ines sesMoDOT will host two regional meetings in the coming weeks to help disadvantage businesses and MoDOT staff get to knoweach other better. The after-hour mixers in St. Louis and Kansas City will give both groups a chance to put faces with names,gather insights on how to be a successful contractor and generally build stronger relationships. All interested women andminority owned businesses are encouraged to attend. Plans are already in place to expand the mixers to more cities in 2013.For more information click on the following links:Kansas City DBE Mixer St. Louis DBE Mixer

Drive Sobe r o r Get Pu l l ed Over

The new substance-impaired driving message is clear and simple: Drive Sober or GetPulled Over.

Approximately 240 Missouri state and local law enforcement agencies willparticipate in the national effort to deter substance-impaired driving by conductingstatewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation patrols August 17 through Sept. 3.

The strong enforcement presence reinforces the importance of driving sober and thelegal consequences of ignoring that advice. Missourians will hear and see the DriveSober or Get Pulled Over message during a television, radio, digital and print publicawareness campaign.

Statewide, law enforcement made 852 DWI arrests during the impaired drivingcampaign in August and September of 2011. In 2011, 216 people were killed, 865

seriously injured in accidents that involved at least one impaired driver.

To learn more about impaired driving and how you can Arrive Alive, visit saveMOlives.com .________________________________________________________________________________________ Recen t Re t i r emen t s



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Jerry Wessel - NW - 28Sheila Scheib - NW - 23Jafar Dehghani - NW - 21Eldon Jones - NE - 20Charles Kitchen - NE - 28Vernon Leonard - NE - 33

Gerald Hanlin - NE - 12Earnest Smith - KC - 28Richard Cotriss - CD - 22Eve Black - SL - 18John Owens - SL - 23Kimbel Dye - SW - 16

Ricky Branum - SE - 26Thomas Smotherman - SE - 23Stuart Denich - CO - 28Carolyn Brockes - CO - 38Virginia Brown - CO - 23

Billie Asherformer D1 - July 12Jean Fosterformer D8 - July 14Robert Widemanformer D6 - July 15

Ferrelle Ryanformer D7 - July 20Calvin Shiversformer D5 - July 26Cecil OusleyCO - July 27

William MorelandCO - July 29Raymond Andersonformer D1 - July 29Lloyd Niswongerformer D10 - July 29

________________________________________________________________________________________ I n M em o r i u m

Connec t ions

The mission of Connections is to be a source of Missouri Department of Transportation news and

feature articles that connect employees statewide.Customer RelationsMissouri Department TransportationP.O. Box 270Jefferson City, MO 65102573/751/2840www.modot.org

Editor: Tammy Wallace

Comments & Sugges t ions

We would like to hear from you. Send commentsand suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:

[email protected] .

Miss ion

Our mission is to provide a world-classtransportation experience that delights ourcustomers and promotes a prosperous Missouri.

To view or print other pages, click on thelinks below:



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M a i n t e n a n c e p e r s o n n e l r e s p o n d t o a s i m u l a t e d s p i l l e v e n t a t t h e i rf a c i l i t y.

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Ce l eb r a t i n g a n A ch i e v e m e n ti n Ma in t enance Env i ron m en ta l Respons ib i l i t yby Gayle Unruh MoDOT has achieved an environmental responsibilitymilestone in maintenance. What started asenvironmental compliance inspections of 333maintenance lots in 2005 and 2006 became 2,134 districtprojects to correct noted deficiencies.

The major projects involved building truck washingfacilities and connecting to city sewer systems to controlwaste water, building or repairing salt storage, buildingsecondary containment for roadway snow and icetreatment (brine) storage, installing security measures tolimit accidental or intentional releases of petroleum toadjacent properties, controlling maintenance lot stormwater runoff, and training maintenance workers in theproper techniques to control petroleum spills. Allprojects, totaling $4.85 million, are reported by thedistricts as completed in the July 2012 MoDOT Tracker.These accomplishments will save MoDOT expenditureson spilled products and potentially costly clean ups, keep MoDOT in r egulatory compliance, and most importantly, make usbetter neighbors.

MoDOT congratulates those from the central office environmental staff who inspected the maintenance lots and patientlyexplained, trained, and worked with the districts to reach compliance as well as those from the district and central officemaintenance, risk management and general services staff who planned, budgeted, designed, built, and tracked the projects.All played a role in making MoDOT a more environmentally responsible organization.

If you have questions about maintenance environmental compliance, please contact Kevin Wideman at 573-526-4171 for the NW and SL districts, Bill Wilder at 573-526-2904 for the NE and SW districts, Stan Thessen at 573-526-3599 for the KC and C districts, or Stowe Johnson at 573-522-5562 for the SE district.

Ce l eb r a t i n g " Th e n a n d Wo w " a t t h e Fa i rby Holly Dentner

Thousands of fairgoers visited MoDOT during the 2012 Missouri State Fair, which ran Aug. 9-19 in Sedalia, Mo.The fair’s theme, “Celebrate Then and Wow,” highlighted the 110th anniversary of Missouri’s extensive agriculturalshowcase. While the fair itself is 110 years old, MoDOT has been a part of the fair since 1922, and has been situated in itscurrent location on the fairgrounds since 1929. The Transportation Expo Center and beautiful highway gardens wereonce again home to all sorts of facts, figures, and fun related to Missouri’s transportation system. The biggest display in the MoDOT building alerted fairgoers to the recent change in the “Slow Down or Move Over”law, which now includes MoDOT trucks with law enforcement and emergency response vehicles parked on the sideof the road. The Adopt-A-Highway booth was another popular area, with about 250 people and groups signing up to help keepMissouri’s highways clean and litter-free. A chance at free Amtrak tickets also meant lots of visitors to themultimodal tables. Outside in the gardens, many fairgoers grabbed snapshots of themselves with Barrel Bob, who took a break from hisspokes barrel duties to help spread the work zone safety message at the fair. The newest feature in the highway gardens was the creation of a pollinator garden designed to attract bees and otherpollinating insects. The garden was a partnership between MoDOT and the St. Louis Zoo, and features beautifulflowering plants that will encourage the growth of pollinators in Missouri.

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MoDOT volunteers stayed busy during the fair,handing out the ever-popular highway maps. Manyvisitors also received a reusable grocery bag made of recycled plastic as part of the Adopt-A-Highwayprogram’s 25 anniversary.

P h o t o s b y C a t h y M o r r i s o n .

Connec t ions

The mission of Connections is to be a source of Missouri Department of Transportation news andfeature articles that connect employees statewide.

Customer RelationsMissouri Department TransportationP.O. Box 270Jefferson City, MO 65102573/751/2840www.modot.org

Editor: Tammy Wallace


We would like to hear from you. Send commentsand suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:[email protected]

Miss ion



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Move Over? Than k You!

Earlier this year, the Missouri State Legislature and Governor Jay Nixon worked together to pass a bill protecting employeesof the Missouri Department of Transportation. A few of the Northwest District employees wanted them to know what passingthis legislation meant to them. Intermediate Community Relations Specialist Travis Ellis put together this tribute. To viewthis video, please click on the above photo or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8ty_AIV8YM&feature=plcp

Vi d e o s h o t a n d e d i t e d b y Tr a v i s E l l i s

N o r t h w e st a t t h e St a t e Fa i rThursday, Aug. 9, was a hot day at the Missouri StateFair in Sedalia, but the nine volunteers from theNorthwest District didn't seem to mind. Like many otherdistricts, our volunteers get up long before dawn to makethe drive to the Highway Gardens, but it's worth it to geta chance to meet the people we serve in a more casualsetting. Pictured driving the truck is TransportationProject Designer Russ O'Daniell. Behind him are (l-r)

Senior Traffic Studies Specialist Joseph Turner, SeniorFacility Operations Crew Worker Loyde Anderson,Senior Maintenance Worker at Hamilton Joe Gibson,Senior Maintenance Worker at Hamilton Mike Cline,Maintenance Crew Leader at Lathrop Walt West andMaintenance Supervisor at Princeton Mark Silkwood.(The lady in the background is Marilyn Silkwood, Mark'swife.)

P h o t o b y M a r c i a J o h n s o n

St a t e Fa i r B r a g g i n g R i g h t s

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The same day our volunteers were at the Highway Gardens (Aug. 9), our very own Jeff Pittman, maintenance supervisor at Savannah and an employee for over 23 years, faced apanel of three judges when he competed in the State Fair auctioneering contest. Thecontestants were asked to auction two items: A Farmall B die cast tractor and a DeWalt bitset. The judges took into account several areas including: introduction, initial command,overall appearance, poise, voice control, rhythm, speed, clarity, voice expression, articledescription, eye contact/scans audience, body language and auctioneer accuracy. Pittmanplaced third out of 15 contestants, and, best of all, his entire family was there to cheer himon!

He is the owner and operator of Pittman Auction Service basedin Rosendale, Mo. A native of Northwest Missouri, he caughtthe bug for auctioneering after

years of attending local auctions and hearing the chant of t heauctioneer. In 1996, he attended the Missouri Auction Schooland has been an active licensed auctioneer ever since. A memberof the MPAA and NAA, Pittman joined forces with his father,mother, wife and two sons to make Pittman Auction Service afamily-based business. They specialize in real estate, firearms,personal property, bankruptcies, charitable events and variousother types of auctions.

P h o t o s b y f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y o f J e f f P i t t m a n

Record Break ing Sa fe & Soun dStory by Holly L. Hailey

The Northwest District opened the bridge over Niagara Creek on U.S. Hwy 169

in Andrew County on Saturday, Aug. 11th. That's not unusual, with 190 bridgesin our portion of the program, we are always opening or closing a bridge. Whatmakes this one different is the fact that it was completed in only 19 days, whichmakes it the fastest built single span concrete deck bridge built in the state underSafe & Sound. According to Northwest Regional Field Engineer Troy Slagle,"This section of U.S. Hwy 169carries over 3,200 cars a day, so weare pleased to see this bridgecompleted in record time. We thank Phillips Grading, the contractor onthis project, and their workers whoare credited with this construction

record." One hundred eighty-seven Safe & Sound bridges are now completed,with three remaining in our district. Click on the image below or check thevideo l ink (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf6oD4_LDH0&feature=youtu)to hear an interviw with Troy Slagle about the project.

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F o r m o r e i n f o

Melissa BlackCustomer Relations ManagerNorthwest District

Phone: 816-387-2481

Email: [email protected]

3602 N. Belt HighwaySt. Joseph, MO 64506-1399


We would like to hear from you. Send commentsand suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:[email protected] .

Miss ion

Our mission is to provide a world-class

transportation experience that delights ourcustomers and promotes a prosperous Missouri.




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S h a r i D y e , s a f et y a n d h e a l t h m a n a g e r f o r t h e N E D i s t r i c t , d i s cu s s e s t h ec o n t e n t s o f t h i s c h e m i c a l w i t h E l sb e r r y S u p e r v i s o r R o y N i e m e y e r d u r i n gh i s b u i l d i n g ' s a n n u a l e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n s p e c t i o n .

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St o r i n g a n d La b e li n g I m p o r t a n t f o r P o t e n t i a lChem ica l Haza rd sDid you know combining mineral spirits, linseedoil and a certain type of towel could causecombustion? Under the right conditions it can.Our environment is full of potential hazards manyof us may have never heard of, which i s why ourRisk Management team works with supervisors toensure we are handling chemicals and labellingpotential hazards during our annual environmentalinspections.

"We have items, such as flares, chemicals, andothers that are not used in a timely manner or maynot be stored correctly," said Safety and HealthManager Shari Dye. "These could be a danger toour employees and our neighbors," she added.Flares are a good example. If not stored properlythey have the potential to light up and damage ourfacilities. A lot of times our employees don'tknow that putting cans of materials next to eachother may not be compatible and if one leaked itcould cause a problem. "We stay updated on theMSDS (material safety data sheets), which is theuniversal method for identifying chemicals,physical data, storage, disposal, PPE, etc., to helpemployees identify potential hazards " Shari said.

Part of the environmental inspection includesmanaging inventory. "Some items get outdatedfairly quickly, so we need to keep t hat in mind when stocking items." she explained. Our environmental focus is not only onchemicals. Salt storage is another area where i mprovements have been made as a result of environmental inspections. Doorshave been installed on salt bins to make them more secure and prevent leakage. Salt runoff can cause damage to ourneighbors property, costing the department time and money to correct. Shari will make suggestions and work with thesuperintendent and supervisor to make corrections during the inspections. Environmental inspections are taking place overthe next several weeks in the NE District.

B ar r e l Bo b i s Ev e r y w h e r eby Marisa Ellison, Customer Relations Manager

C o r e y B r i n g e r a n d A n d y D i t t m e r f r o m t h e C a n t o n m a i n t e n a n c e c r e wh a v e b e e n t h e " c a r e t a k e r s " o f B a r r e l B o b t h i s y e a r , a f t e r b u i l d i n g h i mt h i s s p r i n g . B a r r e l B o b h a s m a d e s e v e r a l a p p e a r a n c e s a l l o v e r t h ed i s t r i c t t h i s y e a r , a n d i s n o w o v e r s e e i n g t h e w o r k z o n e a t a H a n n i b a li n t e r s e c t i o n .

If you've driven around the state as many times asI have this year, you have seen him. Sometimes hehas on a vest, or there's a miniature standing nextto him. He's on a hill or in a field, but he's alwaysnear a highway work zone, and he's always onFacebook. To many, he's quite a character. Healmost always gets attention from the media, andsometimes unwanted attention from pranksterswho "decorate" or deface him. Yet, you instantlyrecognize him. He's become an icon in theMoDOT world over the past few years, and whileyou may not think of him directly as a"colleague," his size commands respect.

This year alone, my family and I have seen BarrelBob in the areas of the Lake of the Ozarks, St.Joseph, Kansas City, and, of course, Hannibal. Weenjoy identifying the differences in eachcharacter, and I'm hopeful other families see himas an opportunity to educate each other about theimportance of slowing down in a work zone. Afterall, that's part of Barrel Bob's mission!

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T h e P al m y r a m a i n t e n a n c e f a c i l i t y r e c e i v e d a l o t o f p r a i s e f r o m a c u s t o m e r w h oa l s o p a r t i c i p a t e s i n t h e A d o p t A H i g h w a y p r o g r a m .

Cus t om er Appr ec i a t e s AAH, Crew sI just wanted to take the time to write youa short letter. I wanted you and everyoneconcerned to know how pleased we arewith our Adopt-a-Highway sign. It looksso nice and the people who put it up couldnot of done a better job! I know with road closings and bridge

closings sometimes people do not sendgood feedback! But please let everyoneknow I think the Palmyra group isawesome at keeping everything cleaned,mowed, dead animals picked up andalways a smile on their face even while itis hot and they are stopping traffic!Kudo's to them all!

They also took the time to send and truck and trailer to our recent parade whichmakes it extra special. They handed outmaps, litter bags, candy , which everyonewas so pleased. Thanks again and pleasepass the letter around and l et them knowthey do make a difference at making our roads safe and clean! Thanks again!Bless you and yours,Liz and Mike Donath, Philadelphia, MO


Marisa Brown-EllisonCustomer Relations ManagerNortheast District

Phone: 573-248-2502


1711 S. Highway 61Hannibal, MO 63401



Miss ion



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D a n N i e c , K a n s a s C i t y D i s t r i c t E n g i n e e r , M i k e K i n g , K a n s a sS e c r e t a r y o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n a n d C h r i s R ed l i n e l i s t e n a s S c o u t ' sf i b e r o p t i c s n e t w o r k c a p a c i t y i s e x p l a i n e d . P h o t o b y G i n a M y l e s

Trying to do your job in a work zone with cars, trucks and semis passing by at 70+ miles per hour is unnerving as well asdangerous.

But MoDOT is trying out a new piece of equipment that will give workers more peace of mind and may well save lives.

The Mobile Barrier trailer, a 100-foot-long tractor-trailer rig that includes a TMA, a solar-powered CMS, a gas-poweredelectrical generator and an air compressor for pneumatic equipment, was delivered Wednesday at the Stadium MaintenanceFacility. MoDOT is getting a good look at it through a three-month lease with an option to purchase. It’s inventor, KevinGroeneweg, of Golden, Colo., and trainer Walt Black of Groeneweg’s company, Mobile Barriers, demonstrated the equipmentWednesday morning.

“It’s like a utility truck and a barrier combined,”Groeneweg said. The tractor is a typical unit, followed byabout 80 feet of trailer with a 20-foot or 40-foot sectionscalloped out to provide an area for workers to do their jobin one lane of a highway or interstate. The trailer iscomposed of 20-foot sections. The front and back aresomewhat identical, and can take either the fifth wheel ora trailing set of steerable wheels that can be switchedaround so that the front is in the rear and vice-versa.

District Maintenance Engineer Jesse Skinner could seewhere the Mobile Barrier could be an effective addition toMoDOT’s safety equipment.

“We’re always committed to newer and safer ways toprotect our workers and the public,” Skinner said. “It’s not

K a n sa s Se cr e t a r y o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n Vi si t sMoDOTMike King , KDOT’s new l eade r, s t ops by Scou t by Gina Myles Kansas Secretary of Transportation Mike King and AssistantSecretary Jerry Younger visited Kansas City Scout's TrafficManagement Center (TMC) Tuesday, Aug.21. Scout is theonly bi-state traffic management venture in the countrywhich was designed, built and is jointly operated by both theKansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation.

Secretary King has held his position since being appointedby Kansas Governor Sam Brownback in April 2012, and hevisited Scout to gain knowledge about the different aspectsof Scout’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program.He expressed interests in the MoDOT/KDOT budget split,fiber and radio connectivity of the Scout system, needs forfuture expansion of the system, and the overall benefits of ITS to the Kansas City Region.

Before joining KDOT, King had more than 30 years of private sector experience in transportation and energyconstruction. He was the third generation of his family towork in the construction industry and was president andmajority owner of King Enterprise Group in McPherson,Kan., a company that grew from a small concrete contractorto a premier central Kansas contractor in the oil/gas and industrial marketplace.

Kansas City District Engineer Dan Niec and Assistant District Engineer Chris Redline accompanied Secretary King on his tourof the TMC, which the Secretary referred to as the "NASA Room" bringing a laugh to all MoDOT and Scout staff who hostedhim during his visit.

King is committed to successfully completing T-WORKS, Kansas’ comprehensive transportation program, with a focus onproviding safety enhancements, improving commute times and making the kind of infrastructure improvements that will helpspur economic growth and create jobs.

Kansas Ci ty Tes t s Mob i l e Ba r r i e r Tra i l e rby Steve Porter

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M o b i l e B a r r i e r s t r a i n e r Wa l t B l ac k ( o r a n g e h e l m e t ) s h o w sM o D OT m a i n t e n a n c e w o r k e r s h o w t o d e t a c h t h e t r u c k - m o u n t e da t t e n u a t o r f r o m t h e b a c k o f t h e M o b i l e B a r r i e r. Ph o t o b y S t e v eP o r t e r

M o b i l e b a r r i e r t e s t e d i n t h e f i e ld o n n o r t h b o u n d I - 4 3 5 a t 8 7 t h S t r e e t b r i d g e T h u r s d a y m o r n i n g , A u g u s t 1 6 . P h o t o b y S t e v eP o r t e r

going to be a universal tool.” In work areas that exceed theMobile Barrier’s length, we’ll apply more conventionalprotection. But in some areas where we work, you don’thave that easy avenue of escape, and this is a good tool.”

The TMA detaches so that the rear wheel assembly can berolled out from beneath the last segment of the trailer andswitched around to the front to provide protection on theopposite side. That way, if a crew is working in thenumber one lane with the mobile barrier’s side facing thenumber two lane on the right side, when the workers needto do work in the number three lane with the left sideprotected, the trailer assembly can be reversed so that thebarrier is on the other side.

It’s also modular, so if it gets hit, only the section that isdamaged needs to be replaced. It can be set up to providea protective wall in lengths of 42, 62, 82 and 102 feet.Inside the front and back segments is storage f or tools,plus 20-foot-long platforms at each end, which can carrybarriers. Lighting also is stored inside the end segmentsand can two light towers can be deployed to providelighting that exceeds a typical four-light tower.

The barrier is strong, with beams that match up with car and pickup bumpers on the lower beams, and semi-tractor bumpersand frames on the middle beams.MoDOT’s State Maintenance Engineer Beth Wright and Assistant Chief Engineer Don Hillis came to the Kansas City Districton Thursday to observe the Mobile Barrier in action on I-435 and 87th Street.

The Mobile Barrier has been in use since 2008 in several states, including Colorado, Texas and Oregon. In Texas, a drunk driver fleeing police ran barriers and blockades until the Mobile Barrier stopped him, while protecting a half-dozen highwayworkers. In Oregon, the Mobile Barrier protected a two-foot-deep hole in a highway and was struck twice by semi-trucks.

Even t K icks Off Enfo rcem en t Dr iv e to Ca tchI m p a ir e d Dr i v e r sby Steve Porter Last year in Missouri 216 people were killed and 865 seriously injured in crashes that involved at least one impaired driver.Those losses didn’t just happen by “accident,” but because someone under the influence willfully ignored the law.

MoDOT, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and law enforcement partners throughout the state are hammering home themessage, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” beginning with stepped up enforcement efforts in the next few weeks aimed atgetting impaired drivers off the road. The “Drive Sober” campaign kicks off at 10 a.m. August 17 with a news conference atthe Kansas City Regional Police Academy, 6885 NE Pleasant Valley Road, Kansas City, Mo. MoDOT, joined by theMissouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas City Police Department, the Smithville Police Department and a representativefrom Mothers Against Drunk Driving, will speak about the affect impaired driving has on the victims, their families andfriends that lasts a lifetime.

Annette Murray will speak about the deaths July 4, 2011, of her sister Diane Bronson and niece Anna Bronson caused by adrunk driver going the wrong way on I-435. The Kansas City Police Department will display their Mobile DUI EnforcementCenter, which speeds up evaluation and testing of suspected drunk drivers.Law enforcement officers from more than 240 agencies throughout the state will be manning checkpoints through September3, stepping up patrols and looking for drivers who might be impaired. Among those patrols will be Smithville’s new DWIvehicle, provided by MoDOT’s Highway Safety Office for Smithville Police Department’s participation in five DWIcampaigns last year.



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A n n e t t e M u r r a y, s i s t e r o f D i a n e a n d a u n t o f 1 0 - y e a r - o l d A n n a B r o n s o n , t a l k sa b o u t t h e m o r n i n g m o r e t h a n a y e a r a g o w h e n s h e l e a r n e d t h a t h e r s i s t e ra n d n i e ce w e r e k i l l e d b y a d r u n k d r i v e r w h i l e t h e y w e r e o n t h e i r w a y t o j o i nM u r r a y f o r b r e a k f a s t . P h o t o b y S t e v e P o r t e r

M o D O T I n c i d e n t M a n a g e m e n t C o o r d i n a t o r R u s t y J a m e s s p e a k s a b o u t t h e t o l l i m p a i r e dd r i v i n g t a k e s o n f a m i l i e s o f v i c t i m s , w h i l e f l a n k e d b y D i a n e a n d A n n a B r o n s o n ' s , w h ow e r e k i l l e d t h e m o r n i n g o f J u ly 4 , 2 0 1 1 b y a d r u n k d r i v e r g o i n g t h e w r o n g w a y o n I - 4 3 5n e a r 6 3 r d S t r e e t . P h o t o b y S t e v e P o r t e r


Jennifer BenefieldCustomer Relations ManagerKansas City District

Phone: 816-607-2153


600 NE Colbern RoadLee's Summit, MO 64086



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A u g u s t 2 3 , 2 0 1 2

D i s t r i c t s

M a i n t e n a n c e S u p e r i n t e n d e n t K e n t B o h o n a n d S e n i o r H i g h w a yD e s i g n e r G eo f f F r a n k s w o r k t o g e t h e r t o f i l l o u t a w o r k z o n e i n s p e c t i o nf o r m f o r a r e s u r f a c i n g p r o j e c t o n R o u t e 8 9 i n O s a g e Co u n t y. T h e y a r em e m b e r s o f o n e o f t h e C en t r a l D i s t r i c t ' s 2 0 w o r k z o n e i n s p e c t i o nt e a m s t h a t w i l l b e i n s p ec t i n g w o r k z o n e s o n ce a m o n t h t h r o u g hO c t o b e r t o h e l p e n s u r e w o r k z o n e s a f e t y.

I n s p ec t i n g Wo r k Z o n e s I s a Te am Ef f o r tTwenty teams of Central District employees havebeen busy traveling the Central Districtinspecting work zones. This is a new practicethe district has put into place to help improvework zone safety.

Each work zone inspection team consists of threedistrict employees from a broad range of divisions, backgrounds and experience with work zones. Each team is expected to inspect work

zones as a group one day per month from A ugustthrough October.

Teams can choose any work zones to inspecteach time they go out. There's no set quota forthe number of inspections, but the teams areasked to plan a route for the day and inspect asmany work zones as they can. If a team memberis responsible for a specific area within thedistrict, the group must inspect work zonesoutside of that area.

A new district tracker measure will track thenumber of teams performing inspections eachmonth, as well as the t otal number of inspectionseach month.

Co n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o Sa f e t y J ac k p o t W i n n e rK e i t h Z e y !

B o o n v i l l e Cr e w L e a d e r K e i t h Z e y, a t l e f t i n p h o t o a t l e f t , w a s t h e f i r s t M o D O T e m p l o y e e t o w i n a c h a n c e a t t h e b i g g r a bb a g d r a w i n g t h a t i s p a r t o f t h e n e w S a f e t y Ja c k p o t s a f e t y i n c e n t i v e p r o g r a m . K e i t h d r e w b a g s t o t a l i n g $ 7 5 0 a s a r e w a r df o r b e i n g s a f e o n t h e j o b . I n t h e p h o t o a t r i g h t , D i r e ct o r o f R i s k a n d B e n e f i t s Je f f P a d g e t t c o n g r a t u l a t e s K e i t h f o l l o w i n g as u r p r i s e c e r e m o n y a t t h e B o o n v i l l e m a i n t e n a n c e f a c i l it y o n A u g . 1 4 . M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n K e i t h ' s w i n c a n b e f o u n d o n t h ef r o n t p a g e o f t h i s i s s u e o f Co n n e c t i o n s .

Ch i p p i n ' Aw a y a t B e t t e r Ru r a l Ro a d s

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C en t r a l D i s t r i c t m a i n t e n a n c e c r e w s c o n t i n u e t o m a k e g o o d p r o g r e s s c h i p s e a l i n g m i n o r r o u t e s . Cr e w s h a v e c h i p s e a l e d1 8 2 m i l e s t o d a t e a n d a r e c u r r e n t l y w o r k i n g o n r o a d s i n B oo n e C o u n t y. I n t h e p h o t o a t l e f t , a ch i p s e a l t e a m w o r k s o nR o u t e C i n M i l l e r C o u n t y.

Si g n W e l co m e s La k e Vi s it o r sArea Engineer's Son Working to Erect Flag Pole at Site

MoDOT's Central District worked with the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce to make a Hollywood-style “Lake of theOzarks” sign a reality. Officials, including Area Engineer Bob Lynch, dedicated the landmark in time for the Fourth of July holiday. What’s even neater is that Bob’s son, Garrett, is working to erect a flagpole on the site as part of his Eagle

Scout project. Cl ick here

to read a Lake Sun News article highlighting Garrett’s efforts.


Sally OxenhandlerCustomer Relations ManagerCentral District

Phone: 573-522-3375


1511 Missouri BoulevardP.O. Box 718Jefferson City, MO 65102



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A u g u s t 2 3 , 2 0 1 2

Dis t r i c t s

B e ll f o n t a i n e M a i n t e n a n c e B u i l d i n g Wi n D i s t r i c t ' sCha l l en ge o f P i ck in g Up Mos t Trashby Kara Price

M a i n t e n a n c e c r e w s f r o m t h e B e l l f o n t a i n e b u i l d i n g w e r e h o n o r e d o n A u g u s t 2 3 a t a n a w a r d s l u n c h e o n f o r p i c k i n g u p t h e m o s tt r a s h b a g s d u r i n g t h e 2 0 1 2 N o M O r e Tr a s h ! B a s h .

St. Louis District's maintenance crews at the Bellfontaine building in north St. Louis County picked up the most trash bagsduring April's No MOre Trash! Bash. As a reward for the winning maintenance building, St. Louis leadership honored theBellfontaine crews by providing an awards luncheon for their high results. As promised, Tom Blair, assistant district engineerfor St. Louis, spent the day working in the field with the Bellfontaine crews mowing grass along our highways.

St. Louis' General Services department was also recognized at this luncheon for picking up the most trash bags among non-maintenance work groups. All of these great results represent MoDOT's value of t eamwork. Congratulations Bellfontainemaintenance crews and General Services in St. Louis!

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M o D OT Pa r t n e r s w i t h St . L o u i s Co m m u n i t yt o I n c r e a s e Co m m e r c i a l Dr i v e r s Li c en s eE x p e r t s

M a r c J a ck s o n , S t . L o u i s m a i n t e n a n c e w o r k e r ( p i c t u r e d l e f t ) , p r a c t i c e s a p r e - t r i p i n s p e c t i o n w i t h D a r n e l D e B o i s e , a st u d e n te a r n i n g h i s c o m m e r c i a l d r i v e r s l i c e n s e ( p i c t u r e d r i g h t ) , a t S t . L o u i s ' We s t l a k e t r a i n i n g s i t e .

Pu b l i c H ea r i n g H e l d f o r En v i r o n m e n t a lAsses sm en t o f MoDOT' s Wor k in Ci ty ArchRi v e r 2 0 1 5by Andrew Gates

The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold an open-house style public hearing on Wednesday, August 29 to allowthe public to share potential environmental impacts that may result from MoDOT's portion of the CityArchRiver 2015project. The public hearing is scheduled August 29, 2012, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at 1520 Market Street in St. Louis.During the meeting, MoDOT engineers will be on hand to discuss the potential environmental impacts for MoDOT's portionof the CityArchRiver 2015 project, the Park over the highway. In addition, engineers will be available to discuss how trafficwill move around the city and what improvements are currently planned as part of the project.

This meeting will allow the public to provide input and comments, either directly to the engineers or in written comments, onthe possible impacts and presented information. This hearing is part of the Federal process for the planning and evaluation of major construction projects. To view the draft environmental documentation, click here .


Marie ElliottCustomer Relations Manager

St. Louis District

Phone: 314-453-1807


1590 Woodlake DriveChesterfield, MO 63017


We would like to hear from you. Send commentsand suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:

[email protected] .

Miss ion



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PRESERVIN G ROADS: Main tenan ce c rews ch ip- sea lR o u t e 9 7 n o r t h o f L o c k w o o d . ( P h o t o b y J o h n n yM a t h e w s )

BUI LDIN G SPRINGFI ELD'S NEWEST DDI : Check ing p lans ont h e C h e st n u t E x p r e s s w a y / R o u t e 6 5 D i v e rg i n g D i a m o n dI n t e r c h a n g e p r o j e c t a r e S p r i n g f i e l d R e si d e n t E n g i n e e r B r a dG r i p k a , l e f t , a n d S p r i n g f i e l d S e n i o r C o n s t r u c t i o n I n s p e c t o rC r a i g H u c k a b y.

EXPLAINI NG JOPLIN' S DDI PROJECT: Neosho Sen iorC o n s t r u c t i o n I n s p e c t o r M a r v i n M o r r i s v i s i t s w i t h e m p l o y e e sa t a c o n v e n i e n c e s t o r e t o g o o v e r t r a f f i c p a t t e r n c h a n g e s a n do t h e r d e t a i l s o f t h e R an g e L i n e Ro a d / I - 4 4 D i v e rg i n g D i a m o n dI n t e r c h a n g e p r o j e c t i n J o p l i n . T h e st o r e w a s o n e o f m a n yb u s i n e s s e s h e v i s i t e d a l o n g R a n g e L i n e R o a d s h o r t l y b e f o r ec o n s t r u c t i o n b e g a n A u g . 1 3 . ( P h o t o s b y B o b E d w a r d s )

Pr o g r e s s a t Ch e s t n u t Ex p . / 6 5 R eb u i l d Blasting video

A significant phase was reached last week in the reconstruction of the ChestnutExpressway/Route 65 interchange on Springfield's far east side.

On Monday, Aug. 13, a short section of Chestnut Expressway just east of theinterchange, was closed -- to be reopened by Sept. 13.

The closing is needed to enable contractor crews to install a 66-inch diametercasing for a future water line underneath Chestnut Expressway and to widen theroad to three lanes.

Explosives were used the afternoon of Aug. 15 to cut a trench into rock underneathChestnut Expressway.

Springfield police officers worked with prime contractor, Hartman Construction of Springfield, to slow traffic on northboundRoute 65 and create a gap for when the charges were set off. The interchange ramps were closed for several minutes.

Debris was cleared and work began quickly to excavate and then place t he casing.

Chip -Sea l Oper a t io ns Nea r ing Com ple t ion

The Maintenance chip-seal program is approaching the checkered flag

for this year, finishing up routes in the west and north-central parts of the Southwest District.

Maintenance forces will have chip-sealed 145 miles of road thissummer.

The quality of the product is good, said District Maintenance EngineerMichael Middleton.

"Our guys have been safe," he said, and work zones have been set upwell.

A contractor, Hutchens Construction of Cassville, completed 200miles of chip-seals in the far north part of the district a few weeks ago.

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"They turned out really nice. I think MoDOT received a very good product," Clinton Senior Construction Inspector AydiGirgin said. Maintenance did a good job of prepping the roads, he said.

The district's chip-seal total for 2012 was 345 miles. In 2011, 350 miles were chip-sealed, all by Maintenance forces.


Bob EdwardsCustomer Relations ManagerSouthwest District

Phone: 417-895-7713


3025 E. KearneyP.O. Box 868Springfield, MO 65801


We would like to hear from you. Send comments

and suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:[email protected] .

Miss ion



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P l e a se w a t c h t h e s i m u l a t i o n o f t h e D D I i n F a r m i n g t o na b o v e o r v i s i t w w w. m o d o t . o r g / s o u t h e as t t o l e a r n m o r ea b o u t t h e s u g g e s t e d d e t o u r r o u t e s .

D DI i n Fa r m i n g t o n N e ar s Co m p l e t i o nRou te 221 t o C lo se f o r I n t e r ch an ge Conv e r s ion The diverging diamond interchange (DDI) in Farmington will beready for its first Southeast Missouri travelers this September.

To prepare the area for the interchange conversion, MoDOT'scontractor will close Route 221 at the Route 67 overpass. Theclosure is expected to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, withRoute 221 reopening at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, weatherpermitting.

U-turns will be prohibited as work is underway, and motorists areencouraged to use the marked detour routes.

When Route 221 reopens, traffic will utilize the DDI. However,motorists should expect additional impacts to traffic in t he area ascontractors work to complete the project. Remaining work aftertraffic is shifted to utilize the DDI will include installingpermanent signage, completing interchange lighting, seeding andmulching the right-of-way, and installing permanent pavement markings on Walker Drive and Progress Drive. Completion isanticipated this fall.

For more information, please contact Resident Engineer Jason Williams at (573) 431-4933 or MoDOT's Customer ServiceCenter toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636). To learn more about navigating the DDI or the suggested detour routes,please visit http://www.modot.org/southeast/projects/counties/st.francois.htm .

SE Safe & Sou n dPr o g r a m Wr a p s Up

Ci t y o f B lo o m s d a l eThan k s MoDOT

Southeast Missouri now has 116 improved bridges thanks toMoDOT's Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

"With the opening of the Route 142 bridge over Main Ditchin Butler County on Aug. 15, we concluded the SoutheastDistrict's portion of the statewide Safe & Sound program,"said District Construction and Materials Engineer AndyMeyer.

The program's mission is to improve over 800 of the state'sworst bridges in five years. Completion is anticipated by theend of 2012-more than a year ahead of schedule.

Meyer stated that road closures have been one of the keys tothe program's success. read more >

T h e R o u t e 1 4 2b r i d g e o v e r M a i nD i t c h i n B u t l e rC o u n t y o p e n e dt o t r a f f i c o n A u g .1 5 - c o n c l u d i n gt h e S E D i s t r i c t ' sp o r t i o n o f t h eS a f e & S o u n dp r o g r a m .

Dear Mark,

I just wanted to let you know how pleased the City of Bloomsdale is with the employees who respond to repairrequests in Ste. Genevieve County. The staff at the Sikestonoffice is always helpful and workers are dispatchedimmediately.

My most recent experience was on Tuesday, July 3, 2012. Ireceived a report of Highway 61 buckling in the city limitsat 3:40 p.m. It was apparently quite severe and I called theSikeston office. I realized it was the end of the working dayon the day before a major holiday and did not expect amiracle. One happened, though, because the repair wascompleted within hours of my report. I have no doubt anaccident was prevented.

I wanted to thank you and the MoDOT employees for yourexcellent service. Please convey our gratitude from the Cityof Bloomsdale.

Sincerely,Lynnette RandollCity Clerk City of Bloomsdale

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Nicole ThieretCustomer Relations ManagerSoutheast District

Phone: 573-472-6632


2675 N. Main StreetP.O. Box 160Sikeston, MO 63801



Miss ion

Our mission is to provide a world-class

transportation experience that delights ourcustomers and promotes a prosperous Missouri.


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