Connections: Jul. 2010

8/7/2019 Connections: Jul. 2010

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/connections-jul-2010 1/16

A Publication for Employees of the Missouri Department of Transportation

Connect ionsJuly 2010

Let’s TalkLarge crowd gathersto discuss Route 54improvements in D5

Inside ScoopCO Motor CarrierServices gain insightfrom professionaldrivers

Helping HandD3 employee CindyMartin recognized forhelping pedestrian

Paving PlanD8 resurfacing lesser-traveled roads

Ins ide

Rushing toAssistDavid Rainey receivesMoDOT’s highestsafety award

Staying Connected in a Smarter,Greener Way

Ride for Remembrance Raises Nearly $6,000 for Memorial

Nearly $6,000 was raised for the fallen workers’ memorial.

Approximately 120 motorcyclists rode to Jefferson City for the secondannual Ride for Remembrance to pay tribute to fallen workers.



Connect ionsJ u l y 2 0 1 0

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Connect ions

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The Missouri Coalition for RoadwaySafety has a new face on the web.Anyone interested in learning how tostay safe on Missouri roads can visit

the newly redesigned www.savemolives.com.

“We really wanted an updated websitethat would grab people’s attention andpresent our safety information in thebest way possible,” says Leanna Depue,chair for the Missouri Coalition for

by Melissa Black

New Highway Safety Website OffersInfo to Arrive Alive

The new site not only looks completely different, but has new organization to allow thelatest news, events and regional pages to be part of the homepage.

Last fall, General Services announcedseveral changes would be taking placein an effort to reduce the amount of money MoDOT pays out for Central

of pool vehicles and access to TravelService staff and computers used tocheck them out.

Throughout the winter and spring,things have continued to change. The

distribution center has shifted to itsnew location at the northwest cornerof the building. The area left behindby the DC and other sections are being

will eventually be used to consolidateseveral groups from other locations.

“We really appreciate how well every-one has adjusted to these changes,” saidGeneral Service Director Beth Ring.

“While it is a little more inconvenientfor everyone right now, the department

-cant savings these changes bring about.”

Consolidating Work Groups Will SaveTime and Moneyby Kristi Jamison

By reducing the number of physi-cal work locations within JeffersonCity, MoDOT will save approximately$450,000 per year in rental paymentsalone. No longer having to pay for utili-ties at these locations will cut costs, too.Plus, fewer buildings to travel betweenmeans a reduction in fuel and main-tenance costs for vehicles driven bymaintenance, travel services and mailcenter staff.

The consolation of locations will also

operations. The response rate of main-tenance staff and shuttle drivers will bequicker as they have fewer buildings tomaintain and travel between.

what groups will be relocating to 830MoDOT Drive and when in the Augustissue of Connections and on upcomingeditions of Inside Minute.

Before: MoDOT distribution center

After: new ofce space

A national paint shortage has promptedthe state of Missouri to prioritize thecompletion of its pavement markingprojects. Major roads and new pave-

It was only last month that paint pro-ducers across the nation started to makea fuss about a growing shortage of theraw materials used to produce roadstriping paint.

engineer, says the scarcity of thesematerials is by and large due to manu-facturing problems at a Dow Chemicalplant in Texas – the largest supplier of highway paint.

production rates, leading to a largeshortage in the chemical used to make

While the shortage may have delayedstriping on minor roads, major high-ways have been re-striped before the

busy summer travel season.“So far we have been able to keep upwith our important projects due tomanagement of the available paint ona statewide level. As loads of paint be-come available they are being directedto the areas of h ighest need,” saidBrocksmith.

by Amber N. Seaton

Careful Supply Management BuildsBridge Over Paint Shortage

Private contractors are responsible forthe striping on construction projects formajor highways. However, the short-age may leave contractors unable tocomplete all of their striping projectson time.

“Contractors are also feeling the pinch,but MoDOT has put our forces onalert that they may have to step in andstripe some projects as a last resort if the contractors have no paint,” said

Brocksmith.

In light of the shortage, the AssociatedGeneral Contractors of America askedthe Federal Highway Administrationto collaborate with states to develop

continues.

The contractors group requested leni-ency for highway contractors, subcon-tractors and suppliers, citing that thepaint shortage is beyond their control.

Despite the panic that supply issueshave caused among contractors, Brock-

smith says that standard supply levelsshould return by fall of this year.

“We have been told that supply will notreturn to normal until late September. Itshould gradually increase between nowand then,” he said.

Roadway Safety’s executive committeeand MoDOT’s Highway Safety director.

“We wanted something more interactivethat will help us accomplish our goals

of fewer fatalities and injuries on Mis-souri roads.”

The new site not only looks completelydifferent, but it is organized much dif-ferently as well. The latest news, events

program area information now are part

of the homepage. Quick links to Face-book, Twitter and a newsfeed also givethe new site a much bigger social mediafocus, and there is a much heavier focus

on interactive content. The popularityof video sites like YouTube and Huluencouraged the coalition to use safetyvideos to engage and interact with thevisitor.

The site is divided into four topics mak-

they need: The Situation,Safe Driving, DangerZone and Take Action.The Situation gives allthe pertinent facts andstats about highwaysafety in Missouri. Safe

Driving covers all theinfo that helps keepmotorists safe on theroads from seat belts tomotorcycle safety, aswell as driving laws andavailable resources. Dan-ger Zone covers thoseareas that cause fatalities

and injuries on our roads like distracteddriving, impaired driving and speeding,as well as resources to address these.

get involved and help keep their friendsand family healthy and safe.

“The edgy design of the new site willhopefully appeal to many of our young-er drivers, since this is the largest groupof motorists we need to try and educateto Arr ive Alive,” Depue says.

decreased 31 percent. The 2009 numberstands at 878. The coalition creditsa combination of law enforcement,educational efforts, emergency medicalservices and engineering enhancementsas the successful formula for savinglives. The coalition’s current goal is tohave 850 or less fatalities a year in Mis-souri by 2012. The last time Missourireached less than 850 fatalities was1949. As of June 20, 371 people havedied on Missouri roads – a 12 percentdecrease from the same time last year.

For more information, visit www.save-molives.com. Buckle Up and ArriveAlive.




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Linda Wilson stands with Gene Rose, former NAGC presi-dent and head of the awards committee.

Not many of us can say we helped averta crisis, but I-64 Community RelationsManager Linda Wilson can add that toher list of accomplishments. A 19-yearveteran of MoDOT’s District 6 Com-munity Relations team, Wilson wasrecently recognized in a big way for heroutstanding efforts in leading one of the state’s biggest, most controversialcommunications efforts in MoDOT’shistory. She was named 2010 Com-municator of the Year by the NationalAssociation of Government Communi-

cators.

-nications organization honored Wilsonfor her highly effective, strategic andtransparent communications for theNew I-64 project in St. Louis. She waspraised for her success in consolidatingand leading the public relations staff for MoDOT and Gateway Construc-tors on a shoestring budget to addressconcerns of regional mobility, hospitaland emergency access, large busi-nesses and employers, mom-and-popoperations, public and private schools,regional attracts and everyday com-muters and shoppers. She also wasrecognized for playing an instrumentalrole in strengthening relationships andimproving MoDOT’s credibility withthe St. Louis-area media and the publicthroughout the lengthy project.

Linda Wilson Receives NationalRecognition for Strategic I-64

CommunicationsAccording to a news release issued bythe organization, a panel of judges se-lected Wilson because of the effectiveway she handled all facets of communi-cation on the I-64 project.

“The judges were impressed withWilson’s ability to successfully managecommunications with the public before,during and af ter the project,” said GeneRose, former NAGC president whoheaded the awards committee. “With

several traditional and new mediarelation strategies to keep the area’s 2.5million residents advised on the project.Through the new project website, e-mails, online chats, media interviews,and an estimated 300 speeches, Wilsonprovided transparency to the project,as well as the est ablishment of the 24/7incident command center.”

Wilson was honored at an AwardsBanquet held in conjunction with theNAGC’s Communication School onMay 17 in Washington, D.C.

On July 13, Wilson accepts an ad-ditional award in St. Louis. She hasbeen chosen as the Community ServicePublic Relations Council’s 2010 PublicRelations Professional of the Year forI-64.

Since 2007, MoDOT’s online TravelerInformation Map has been helpingdrivers navigate work zones, snowy

do even more.

With MoDOT’s new and improvedonline map, Missouri travelers willalso be able to view radar imagery,oversized load information and com-

cameras will even be added on severalmajor Missouri interstates.

One of the big benefactors of the up-grade will be commercial vehicle driv-ers and the motor carrier population.

With the changes commercial driverswill be able to view height restr ictions,commercial zones and oversized/overdimension information on their ownlayer of the map.

New and Improved TravelerInformation Map Offers MoreInformation Than Everby Matt Hiebert

Radar imagery has also been added tothe online map. Fed from the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion, the radar layers give a snapshot of weather conditions so travelers can seewhat’s in front of them and what’s onthe way.

The look of the map has also changeda bit. Although the navigation remainsthe same, the map will now loadquicker, be easier to zoom and more

Along with local weather reports, lawenforcement information and MoDOT’scustomer service center, the upgradedTraveler Information Map will be amore important part of the informationformula than ever.

With MoDOT’s new and improved online map, Missouri travelers will beable to view radar imagery, oversized load information and commercialzones.

There comes a time when programsthat were once new and innovative be-come part of the organizational culture.Practical Design is a good example.

-mented, we went back and took a look at all of the projects in our constructionprogram to see how we could deliverthe same solution at a lower cost. Now,that practice is routine.

That’s why we’re now undertakinga thorough review of our employeeincentive and compensation programs.We want to make sure they are still pro-viding the results they were intended toachieve. These programs include SafetyPays, Solutions at Work, performance-based pay, equity increases, and over-time policy provisions that exceed what

is required by federal law. Relocation

also being evaluated.

That does not mean they are all goingto be changed or eliminated. It’s a com-

MoDOT Reviewing Employee Incentive,Compensation and Benets Programs

mon practice for organizations to ana-lyze the individual components of theirtotal rewards package to ensure a goodbalance exists - especially as economicand organizational needs change.

The Performance Plus incentives aregood examples of how innovative pro-grams can evolve and become the norm.The Project Scoping and Estimatingand the Construction Cost Savingsincentives were designed to rewardemployees for bringing in projects ontime and under budget. A recent reviewfound they had accomplished just whatthey set out to do. As a result, complet-ing projects on schedule and withinbudget has become the new norm forMoDOT. The incentive programs haverun their natural course and are no lon-

ger necessary to achieve these goals.

Therefore, the Project Scoping andEstimating and the Construction CostSavings incentives will come to anend on June 30. The usual processes

involved in determining who is eligible

Performance Plus incentives will befollowed, and eligible employees will

-gram on Aug. 31.

“The programs served their purposewell for several years by rein forcingour new way of doing business andrewarding employees for helping Mo-DOT achieve cost savings and tangible

Roberta Broeker. “Now that employeeshave created a new normal in project

delivery, it made sense to discontinuethese performance plus incentives. Theemployee incentives were paid fromdistrict and division personal servicesbudgets. We’ll determine what theprograms have typically run in eachdistrict, and redirect that amount of money to the district operating budgetsto be spent on the roads. That supportsour 5-year direction.”

Additional information about Perfor-mance Plus is available on the homep-age of the MoDOT intranet.




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July Service Anniversaries

35 YearsGeorge R. Clarke D3

30 YearsGary L. Hays D9

25 YearsJames L. Shipley D4David W. Johns D5Larry F. Rohr D6Kevin L. Trentmann D6Michael D. Myers D8David L. Prock D9Edward L. Cole D9Johnny E. Hart D10Connie E. Almond D10Jeffery R. Campbell CODonna A. Wilbers COHazel M. White CO

20 YearsJeffrey S. King D1Danny R. Haldiman D5Gregory Mezinis D6Teresa A. Krenning D6Roger C. Hopkins D6John A. Avers D8Kenneth R. Reding D8Joseph F. Crader D10Michael L. Jackson CO

15 YearsBryan S. Bailey D1Jim W. Mullins D2Ronald L. Stewart D2John K. Dinsmore D2Tanya M. Carlisle D3

Stephen M. Dickson D3John D. Ortner D4Brent D. Humphrey D5Ronald H. Mize D6Danny G . Shoemaker D7Anna M. Hobbs D9Randy J. Ballew D10Patricia L. Miller D10Deborah K. Jaegers COCarolyn B. McBride CODouglas J. Hood CO

10 YearsCraig A. Elmore D1Robert A. Kish D1Robin R. Shurtleff D1Quent in G . Holcomb D1Nicole I. Smith D1David R. Yarnell D1Jacqueline S. Muller D2Anthony E. Forrest D2Scott D. Stephens D2Andrew K. Long D3Clinton D. Ford D3James R. Davis D3

Marion D. Thurman D3David A. Campbell D4Wyatt A. Ingram D4David L. Warmouth D4Tori L. Burris D4Donald R. Thomas D4Julie A. Jeffery D6Keith M. Harangozo D6Steven E. Richards D6Marshall D. Miller D7Scotland V. Lawson D7Wendy L. Brunner-Lewis D7

William C. Reidl inger D7Sherry A. Stutsman D7Rebecca S. Walsh D8Blaine M. Doss D8Brian E. Proctor D8Clint A. Younger D9Robert L. Merritt D9Jody L. Mills D9Mark L. Clark D10Craig M. Schindler D10Norman L. Clark D10

5 YearsJeffrey R. Pycke D2Brenda K. Collins D4Jason E. Wagner D5Jason D. Pemberton D5Randall W. Vandelicht D5Terry J. Keehn D6Paula B. Fuhro D6Lee Q. Williams D6Joseph D. Pinson D6William D. Thorp D7Gary W. Boyd D8Clint D. Eidson D8Sandra J. Vincent D8Michael D. Libby D9Earl E. Swift D9Sheryl A. Wunderlich D10Charles E. Wilson D10Ricky L. Crabb D10Stewart Strong COZachary Q. Honse CO

In Memoriam

RetireesDorma G. Angle D10 May 4Fred L. George D7 May 4

Thomas W. Herrin D2 May 7Dale E. Jacobs D3 May 12Ray Benson D6 May 14Donald “Donnie” F. Wiltz D4 May 16Marvin G. Pettet D8 May 19Donald Rardon D2 May 21Den nis L . M ob erly D8 May 22Donald W. Besser D8 May 23Danny E. David so n CO May 2 3Robert “Bob” A. East D1 May 25

May RetirementsName Location Years of

ServiceReece Johnson D10 33Larry Holmes D2 31Donald Pierce D2 30Larry Clark D3 33

Carolyn Schutte D3 17Robert Curtin D4 32Ray Meeks D4 32Kenneth Mosley D6 31Jerry Lewis D6 37Stanley Ermeling D6 38Donald Jackson D6 31John Stepp D8 31Gail Hannaford D8 26Joan Milligan D6 14Robert Garvey CO 10

A wise person once said, “The rungof a ladder was never meant to restupon, but only to hold a man’s foot longenough to enable him to put the othersomewhat higher.”

MoDOT’s External Civil Rights Divi-sion administers several programsthat provide that proverbial ladder formany disadvantaged individuals and

business in the construction trades.

“Many of these individuals or compa-nies are likely to start out somewhere

rung,” said Lester Woods, Jr., ExternalCivil Rights director. “At least it’s arung on a ladder designed to take themto new heights of opportunity.”

ECR has been engaged in a whirlwindof activities to help disadvantagedindividuals and businesses climb higherup the ladder.

After making some changes to stream-line MoDOT’s Disadvantaged BusinessEnterprise Program, the second groupof DBEs to complete the entrepre-neurial training program graduated inSt. Louis in February and in KansasCity in April. Since 2008, more than30 DBEs have graduated from the pro-gram, which is based on the KauffmanFoundation’s FastTrac GrowthVentureprogram – a national business model.

ECR’s support for DBEs goes well be-yond the classroom, however. In Febru-

One Rung at a TimeExternal Civil Rights Programs are Making a Difference

ary, the division hosted more than 130people, including DBEs, contractors,

organizations from across the state atthe 2010 EEO Contract ComplianceWorkshop in St. Louis. The workshopaimed to encourage workforce di-versity; provide tools and additionalknowledge to enhance business growth;and build awareness of federal require-ments/ regulations, various businessprocesses and compliance issues.

AGC Business Expo was held in Co-lumbia. There, the Associated GeneralContractors offered valuable tips fordoing business with MoDOT to nearly75 prime contractors, subcontractors,DBEs and community-based organiza-

tions.“We want to give DBEs the tools theyneed to compete successfully and be-

-times going back to business basicsgives a company the knowledge and

that next rung on the ladder.”

While up-and-coming DBEs are

Services Program, it isn’t the division’sonly area of focus. Through the On-the-Job Training Program, staff works toimprove the employment prospects of

minorities, women and other disad-vantaged individuals by offering equalopportunities for training and skillsupgrades in the highway constructiontrades.

In April, 14 OJT trainees graduatedfrom two separate programs in the St.Louis area. Nine graduates completedthe Construction Craft Laborer’s Ap-prentice Program. Two of them got theirstart at the Construction Prep Center, aMoDOT-funded pre-apprentice train-ing program. Five others completedthe Local 513 Operating Engineer’sApprenticeship program. One of themstarted out at the Construction CareersCenter High School, also funded byMoDOT. The New I-64 project pro-vided an important training ground forall of these graduates, each of who arenow journey-level craft laborers. So far,one graduate has been hired by localcontractor Fred Weber.

In Kansas City, 10 trainees graduatedfrom the OJT program between 2009

and 2010. They completed various con-struction crafts’ or other professionalservices’ apprenticeship programs. Plus,two graduates got their start throughthe Full Employment Council’s pre-ap-prenticeship program, Project Prepare,

which is funded by MoDOT. Most of their on-the-job experiences came fromthe kcICON project, allowing them toreach journey-level craft laborer status.All of them have been retained as em-ployees on the project.

ECR is doing a tremendous job of providing a much needed boost to themany individuals and businesses itserves – all of whom are trying hard toclimb the ladder of success.

“Our staff is doing an excellent job of laying a solid foundation that is helpingminorities, women and disadvantagedbusinesses become better preparedto compete for construction projectsor jobs,” Woods said. “By extend-ing opportunities through training,coaching and mentoring, the peopleand businesses we serve have a muchbetter chance to succeed. After all, it’snot where you start on the ladder thatcounts, but rather how high you climb.”

Senior CivilRights SpecialistPatricia Weekleyfacilitates anEntrepreneurialTraining Pro-

gram gradua-tion ceremony.



Across the Sta te


Connections Edi tor Laura HollowayPhone 573.751.5985E-mail [email protected]

105 W. Capitol AvenueP.O. Box 270Jefferson City, MO 65102

for more info

C e n t r a l O f f i c e

C O

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On June 4, Chuck Gohring andDeAnne Rickabaugh and several

by Kristi Jamison

Making an Impressionon Our Future

Your

www.youtube.com/ modotvideo

Champions of the Road

Shau

n Schmitz

Shaun Schmitz

Take Your Child to Work Day

Senior Trafc Technician Dianna Johnson demonstrates how she mea-sures trafc volumes using handheld and in-road counters to CentralOfce and District 5 employees and their children on June 10 during TakeYour Child to Work Day.

Another stop for families during the event was to see a demonstrationof trafc-monitoring video cameras on I-70 by Senior Electrician DarrellPatrick.

Cathy Morrison

Cathy Morrison



Across the Sta te


N o r t h w e s t 1D

Community Relations Manager Elaine JustusPhone 816.387.2353E-mail [email protected]

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

for more info

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CW2 Matthew G. Kelleyby M. Elaine Justus

Safe & Sound Updateby M. Elaine Justus

Holly L. Murphy

Chief Warrant Ofcer Matthew G.Kelley was 30 years old when hedied in the line of duty in Iraq.

At the request of the family, the Buchanan Highlanders performed“Amazing Grace” following the Benediction. The second man from theleft is MoDOT retiree Bob Burnett, who is an accomplished piper. TheHighlanders do not charge to perform at events such as this.

Holly L. Murphy

A native of Osborn, Mo., Chief Warrant

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Colonel Stephen H. Kelley, USA Ret., Matthew’s fa-ther, introduced Colonel Wayne A. Green, GarrisonCommander of Fort Leavenworth.

Holly L. Murphy

The Patriot Guard was therein force on their motorcycles.Many of them were veterans of avariety of military conicts, andseveral wore insignia honoringMatthew’s sacrice to the nation.

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Route N in Caldwell County.Luckily (or not) the bridge overMud Creek was closed at thetime for a Safe & Sound bridgedeck replacement project.

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Daviess 1

Harrison 6

Tight constraints caused APAC, the KTU subcontractor on the Shain Creekbridge, to nd an innovative way to set the precast concrete beams.

With I-beams in place, the truck car-rying the beam was able to pull intoposition.

The MO 33 bridge over the WestFork of Lost Creek in DeKalb Countyis the most recent bridge completed.

Kristi Plummer

Holly L. Murphy



Across the Sta te

Connect ions

N o r t h C e n t r a l 2D

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Community Relations Manager Tammy WallacePhone 660.385.8209E-mail [email protected]

Route 63P.O. Box 8Macon, MO 63552

for more info

J u l y 2 0 1 0

The completion of the $1 million NewFranklin Parkway on Route 5 in How-ard County was celebrated last month.

The sleek new look of the parkwaywith the new pavement, curb, gutter,lighting and landscape exceeded the ex-

local citizens and MoDOT employees.

Since the aged viaduct was 71 yearsold with a poor structural rating, itwould seem an easy decision to replacethe massive bridge. However, with age

also comes the distinction of being ahistorical landmark, not to mentionbeing located on the Katy Trail. These

factors demanded special attention todetails for the new parkway, which wasfunded with federal dollars.

Another big chal-lenge was that thebridge would need

for up to 75 days toremove the structureand construct thenew parkway.

This project trulywas a collaborativeeffort as MoDOTworked with HowardCounty commission-ers to provide alter-

nate routes for motorists, the communi-ty to keep them informed on the closureand progress of the bridge, DNR forthe Katy Trail piece of the plan, and thehistorical society to preserve part of thestructure.

Another unique feature of the project isthat most of the old concrete structurewas recycled, producing nearly 5,000

tons of rock. About half of the mate-rial was used on the parkway and theremainder will be used in the area.

Pretty Parkway

Mrs. Noreen Lightfoot, 1940’s Queen of the Viaduct,and Al Rohl ng, a bridge worker on the original via -duct, cut the ceremonial ribbon.

Above, the old viaduct rose above the town. Below, the new parkway withthe quaint lighting and landscaping is picturesque and safe for motorists.

Out and About

During the ceremony, State Rep. PaulQuinn, Howard County CommissionerHoward McMillin, New Franklin’sMayor Frank Frevert and others offeredcomments on the importance of thenew Parkway to the community.

Although the closure was inconvenientfor motorists, the contractor, Widel, Inc.of Blackwater, Mo., did a great job and

Left, the entrancesto the Katy Trail inthe parkway havebecome the home

of two salvagedpieces of the oldviaduct. MoDOTworked with thehistorical societyand the contrac-tor to preserve apiece of the bridgehistory.

eight days under the contract require-ments.

Hands down New Franklin has oneof the best looking entrances into itscommunity of any small town in northcentral Missouri.

Photos, a video of the ceremony andmore can be found on the website.

and Senior Risk Management Techni-cian Jamie Martin set a goal to get the

they have met that goal. According to

As far as we know, this is the only time

and it was done without making the

training mandatory.

First Time in the StateIt was a big effort to get everyonethrough the classes but it really paid off.This life-saving skill is extremelyimportant in our line of work. Whetherthe training is used to help the public,a co-worker, family or friend, it is wellworth the time and effort.

Congratulations to everyone!

CPR Instructors (left to right): Jamie Martin, Charles Burton, Brian Lunsford,Corey Besgrove, Derrick Gott, Aaron McVicker, Jackie Albright, David Gip-son, Anthony Shi ett, Zach Stout, Micki Frey and Drew Daniels.

For three days in June, District 2 washome to Systems Management Direc-tor Don Hillis. Donvisited the district

look at the work being done and totalk with employees

direction.

District EngineerDan Niec andAssistant DistrictEngineer KevinJames traveled withDon looking at vari-ous projects from chipseals to bridge repairs.They also discussed thechallenges the districtfaces with getting ourminor roads in good

condition.

Also on the agendawas a stop at a cost-share project, a look atsidewalks and a visit to the completedGlasgow bridge.

During his visit with the managementteam, Don talked about the need toput more money towards our roads to

keep our major roads in good condi-tion, improve our minor roads and hold

our own on bridges. He also discussedthe need to make changes to become

cially those that are costing us the mostmoney.

Above, Don and Dan on a bridge inspection. Below,getting the scoop on a cinder seal.



Across the Sta te


N o r t h e a s t 3D

Community Relations Manager Marisa Brown-EllisonPhone 573.248.2502E-mail [email protected]

Route 61 SouthP.O. Box 1067Hannibal, MO 63401

for more info

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Building “extra” safe bridges is a methodMoDOT has used for decades. Work-ing cooperatively with the Universityof Missouri, MoDOT is expecting theresults of a research project to show thatbridge piers can be built with less mate-rial and still remain well above all safetystandards.

Erik Loehr, Ph.D., P.E., with the univer-sity, is leading the project, with the assis-tance of several MoDOT team members.There are two sites in Missouri beingused for the proj-ect, Warrensburgand Frankford.“We chose thesesites because of the undergroundconditions,” ex-plained Dr.Loehr. “We drillseveral holes,place reinforcingsteel and special-ized instruments,

concrete. Oncethe concrete is set,we will apply loadto the founda-tions and read

Research Project Aims toReduce Cost of Bridgesthe data provided by the instruments todetermine the force being carried by theconcrete. This will help us determinethe size of foundations actually neededfor a given bridge pier,” he said. Dr.Loehr added that they are using comput-erized models to apply the data to bridgepiers of various sizes, and eventually thiscould be used on all bridge projects inthe future.

The results of the study are expected tobe available at the end of this year.

Around the District

Joe McNeill, Design, helps the kids who visited MoDOT test theirmarshmallow and toothpick bridges by seeing how many waterballoons the bridges would hold.

It’s just a natural reaction for Cindy Mar-tin to want to be helpful. Her co-workersand family agree, that’s her nature. Soit’s no surprise when Cindy was on herway home from work, after picking upher son from school, that she stopped tohelp a lady who had apparently fallen.

“I thought she was pulling weeds by hermailbox, but then we noticed her mailscattered, and she looked hurt,” Martinrecounted. “She had sustained serious

injuries from a fall, so I stayed with heruntil emergency help arrived.”

In her 11-year career with MoDOT,Cindy has been witness to several op-portunities where she felt compelled tohelp. “I just can’t drive by . . . I have tostop,” she said.

Cindy was recognized by the Central Of-

It’s Her Nature to Help

(Left to right) Lydia Brownell, geotechnical specialist,Jen Harper, organizational performance engineer, bothwith MoDOT, and Dr. Erik Loehr from the University ofMissouri, work with their team just south of Frankford todrill a shaft that is part of a cooperative research proj-ect. The study will determine the feasibility of reducingmaterial in bridge piers, thereby reducing the cost ofconstruction.

Hundreds Participate inPublic Hearing

known for its beauty, yet in the last twoyears, MoDOT has had to close it twicedue to slides that have caused the roadto give way to the elements. The road iscurrently closed near Ashburn.Public hearings to share theoptions to address this slide andothers in the area were held lastmonth. More than 80 peopleattended the meetings, andseveral hundred visitors haveviewed the virtual meeting webpage.

Four options were presented,

preferred option. The general consen-sus of comments received agreed withthe preferred option. A decision will bemade later this summer on how to ad-

District Engineer Paula Gough explains oneof the options to address the Route 79 slide

to a group in Ashburn.

Maintenance crews from Bowling Green and Eolia teamed up to dosome hot mix patching on Route PP in Pike County in preparationfor the upcoming chip seal operation. The chip seal program is oneof the efforts to help improve the minor roads in Missouri.

Thirty-nine kids cameto visit MoDOT as the

district celebrated“Bring Your Child toWork Day” on June3. The kids weretreated to a tour, builtmarshmallow bridges,made asphalt cook-ies, learned aboutlandslides and signs,and were involvedin a photo shoot onMoDOT equipment.

Cindy Martin, Bowling Green main-tenance crew worker, was givena Certicate of Appreciation forhelping an injured pedestrian. Sheis pictured receiving her award fromDistrict Engineer Paula Gough.

assisting an injured pedestrian. She was

workers by MoDOT Northeast DistrictEngineer Paula Gough.



K a n s a s C i t y A r e a4D

Community Relations Manager Kristy HillPhone 816.622.6327E-mail [email protected]

600 NE Colbern RoadLee’s Summit, MO 64086

for more info

Across the Sta te


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kcICON has Widest Concrete Bridge Deck Pour in Missouri

MoDOT Earns NationalRecognition for ProgramsJoint Effort with “A Call to Oneness” and

Attendees at A Call to Oneness received free training to pass the writtentest to receive a commercial driver’s license.

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nership with A Call to Oneness for

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A Call to Help Unemployed --

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Merge Easy

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Creatively Engaged

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Crews were able to complete the deck pour, creating the single widest bridgedeck pour in Missouri.



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Community Relations Manager Kristin GerberPhone 573.522.3375E-mail [email protected]

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

for more info

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C e n t r a l5D

U.S. Route 54.

Route 54 in Cole County.

MoDOT Highway Safety Director Leanna Depueexplains that $5 million in federal funds is availablefor safety improvements on U.S. 54.

Holly Dentner

Community Brieng HighlightsUpcoming Bridge Projects

Dwane Vandelicht

Maintenance crews cover a lot of ground in a short timemowing the shoulders and median of U.S. 63 betweenJefferson City and Columbia.

Large Crowd Gathers to Discuss SafetyImprovements on U.S. 54

Area Engineer Mike Schupp talkswith county ofcials about theRoute B bridge over I-70, whichwill be replaced as part of theSafe & Sound Bridge ImprovementProgram.

Holly Dentner

First Roundabout Opens inPettis County

Local ofcials cut the ribbon just east of theroundabout intersection.

Cathy Morrison

by Holly Dentner

Mowing MoDOT-Style



S t . L o u i s A r e a6D

Community Relations Marie ElliottPhone 314.453.1807E-mail [email protected]

1590 Woodlake DriveChestereld, MO 63017

for more info

Across the Sta te


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Several of the women involved in theI-64 project were invited to and recog-nized at the Forest Park Hat Lunch June3. The group wore decorated hard hats

Don Hillis, director of system management,recently worked withMotorist Assist duringhis visit to District 6.He is visiting with eachdistrict's maintenanceand operations depart-ments throughout thestate. Hillis toured theMotorist Assist facil-ity, met with some of the operators, and did aride-a-long with KevinOgden, motorist assistoperator, on the St. Louis City route.During his visit, Hillis participated inthe department's daily operations andassisted with incidents.

MoDOT celebrated its green effortson Earth Day with an open house at itsnew maintenance site in St. Clair. Thisnew building is part of the department’sconsolidation plan to save money andresources, putting more of them on theroad. The New Haven, Villa Ridge andSt. Clair maintenance buildings were

combined into one maintenance sitelocated at 2273 North Service RoadEast in St. Clair.

"MoDOT is pleased to start the costsaving initiative by consolidatingthree smaller facilities into one ef-

MoDOT Area Engineer for FranklinCounty. “This allows the department toreduce costs of operations by bringingemployees into one facility to promoteteamwork."

MoDOT is going green at many of itsbuildings. Some of the many green ef-forts in its consolidation plan include:

The new St. Clair building is us-ing solar warm air collection asa heating source. The warm aircollectors on the roofs will providesupplementary heat in the winter

Director of System Management WorksWith Motorist Assist

District 6 Expands Its Green Efforts withNew St. Clair Maintenance Siteby Kara Price

and will provide some cooling relief in summer as they absorb some of the heat load instead of the buildingabsorbing it.

The building uses solar panels toheat the water in the facility.

The storage buildings used to protectthe equipment do not have doors

and have translucent wall panels toprovide lighting.

detectors is used throughout thecomplex.

-mostats that are remotely controlledand programmable.

It uses a single air compressor forall of the facilities air needs, suchas mechanic, car wash and mainte-nance.

Thank you to al l MoDOT employeesand departments that helped with thegreen efforts of the new St. Clair main-tenance building, and helping District6 become even more green in its dailyoperations.

MoDOT ladies at the 20th Anni-versary Forest Park Hat Lunch

Pictured left are Karen Yeomans, Deanna Venker, April Hendricks-Brown, for-mer MoDOT I-64 Project Director Lesley Hoffarth, Linda Wilson and AngelaFuerst.

and were recognized for the project'ssuccess by the nearly 1,000 people inattendance at the event.

The New Haven,Villa Ridge andSt. Clair mainte-nance buildingswere combinedinto one main-tenance sitelocated at 2273North ServiceRoad East in St.Clair.

Crews place the solar panels on the roof during the construction of the newenergy-efcient building.



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J u l y 2 0 1 0

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S o u t h w e s t 7D

Community Relations Manager Lori MarblePhone 417.621-6504E-mail [email protected] E. 32nd StreetJoplin, MO 64804

for more info

Connect ions

by Wendy Brunner-Lewis

The night of May 16 was cool anddamp. Thunder rumbled and lightning

who spent the night outside after fall-ing in her yard.

The next morning Monett employeesGlenn Parrigon and Randy Myers

them from a yard. When they stopped

had laid in the yard all night.

“She had a big bulldog next to her that

“The dog wasn’t happy we were on his

and let us come closer to her. She toldus the dog stayed with her all night

“She held my hand and asked me not to

called 911. They wanted to get her a

another dog in the house. She’d left the

other dog.

dog was okay and nothing caught on

following day. Her family sent this let-ter in appreciation of Par rigon’s andMyers’ heroism:

“My family and I would like to let

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more tragic.

was unable to make it back to thehouse. She was also unable to make

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-gon and Randy Myers contacted emer-gency personnel and stayed with her

our gratitude to Mr. Parrigon and Mr.Myers. The action of your employeesnot only speaks highly of them as in-

“Another ironic part of the story is that

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building in 1977.

Parrigon and Myers shrug off the herotitle. They’re just glad they saw her andwere able to help.

“I work here to do my job and help how

Monett Workers RescueRetiree’s Wife

Glenn Parrigon Randy Myers

Water Under the NewBridge in Dade County

Rieder has been busy capturing imagesof the ongoing bridge re-decking effort

More of Rieder’s pictures can be foundon the district web page at www.modot.org/southwest.

by Lori Marble

Aaron Rieder

Aaron Rieder

Aaron Rieder



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S p r i n g f i e l d A r e a

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Community Relations Manager Bob EdwardsPhone 417.895.7713E-mail [email protected]

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

for more info

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Greater Focus on Lesser-TraveledRoads Means More ResurfacingBy Angela Eden

Working on a chip-seal along Route 76 east of Ava are, fromleft, Wasola Maintenance Worker Matt Heinlein, BradleyvilleSenior Crew Worker Glenn Dalton and Gainesville SeniorMaintenance Worker Luke Cooley.

Jeff Robertson

D8 at Work1. Putting up a Safe & Sound sign for a project to replace the Route 125bridge over the James River east of Springeld are, from left, MaintenanceCrew Leader Bill Stranghoner, Intermediate Maintenance Worker DebbieRodriguez, Maintenance Worker Charolette Scott and Maintenance WorkerBoone Kuder, all of the Springeld shop.

2. Girders are set in place for an underpass underneath National Avenue atthe James River Freeway (Route 60) in Springeld, a project that involves re-conguring the interchange into a Diverging Diamond. Lining up the girdersare Branson Senior Construction Inspector Russ Klein, left, and Emery Sappand Sons employee Gary Haden (inset).

Bob Edwards

Randy Berger/CoxHealth

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Take a Child to Work Day1. Senior Customer Service Representative Tracy Davault, left, the district’sAdopt-a-Highway coordinator, administers an anti-litter pledge to RachelWalker, daughter of Transportation Project Designer Will Walker (back-ground).

2. Fordland Senior Crew Worker Billy McHafe helps son Billy Jr. simulate thecompacting of asphalt by rolling out an “asphalt” cookie.

3. Overseeing the making of “asphalt” cookies are Humansville IntermediateMaintenance Worker Mike Swearingin, with daughter Lacey, left, and Gen-eral Services Manager Brad Leonard, with daughter Kayla.

Bob Edwards

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16 New Hard Hat Guidelines Stress the Importance of Employee Safety

Two Lucky People Catch a Train,

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Annual Trash Bash Most Successful Ever

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