8/3/2019 Connections: Jan. 2012 http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/connections-jan-2012 1/12 closing 131 facilities and selling more than 740 pieces of equipment. By 2015, the plan will save $512 million that will be used for vital road and bridge projects. Record Snow Closes I-70 A record snowfall on Feb. 1 ultimately caused the closing of Interstate 70 for the snow and ice removal than the previous year due to more practical operations and other cost-saving measures. Safe and Sound bringing the total number of bridges - ish more than a year ahead of schedule. MoDOT Suggests Public Private Partnership to Fix I-70 - A MoDOT plow clears snow from the highway. Missouri received record snowfall on Feb. 1. A Publication for Employees of the Missouri Department of Transportation Connect ions January 2012 5 7 4 New to the Lake Central District celebrates completion of two major highway projects 10 Pure Focus Focus on the Road participant nets new car with commitment MO 159 Opens After months of being closed due to water damage, the section is now complete Be Smart SW District launches new safety campaign Inside continued on p.3 Transportation Events that Made News in 2011 - ing the drop in fatalities the top news story every year since 2005 and are the lowest they’ve been since 1949. news in 2011: Bolder Five-Year Direction - tion Commission in June adopted a plan more funding can be directed to needed the use of public private partnerships for rebuilding the I-70 corridor between Kan- Red Light Cameras Get Green Light A policy to help ensure cameras used to ticket red-light runners are used fairly and consistently was adopted by the commis- guidance on how the cameras can be used and more oversight to make sure the cameras are used to increase safety and prevent injuries and death. Cracking Down on Cell Phone Use While Driving recommended a nationwide ban on the use of personal electronic devices while the heels of an announcement that com- mercial motor vehicle drivers are banned from using hand-held mobile phones and push-to-talk cell phones while driving. Flooding Closes, Damages Roads from their banks this summer causing highways and lettered routes were com- MoDOT Receives $20 Million in USDOT TIGER Funding announced the award of $20 million to A key component of the project is a pedes- trian land bridge over I-70 that will con- - cants requesting $14.1 billion in funds. available. comes with a local match of $25 mil lion - criteria for projects is to enhance the qual- ity of living and working environments of communities through increased transpor- tation choices and connections. “We are thrilled to receive this funding. It enables us to start on the transportation component of this great project of national - partner in this bigger project to transform A Missouri state route is closed while crews replace the bridge deck for the Safe & Sound Bridge Program. pletely destroyed by fast-moving water. Most of those are back in service. Show Me My Buzz A new smartphone application launched S h a u n S c h m i t z U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spoke in St. Louis with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (left) Dec. 21, 2011, about the benets the TIGER funding will have for the city. S h a u n S c h m i t z A n d r e w G a t e s MoDOT Listens Ofcials seek remedy for Route 71 bridge at Peculiar, MO
closing 131 facilities and selling more than740 pieces of equipment. By 2015, the planwill save $512 million that will be used for vital road and bridge projects.
Record Snow Closes I-70A record snowfall on Feb. 1 ultimatelycaused the closing of Interstate 70 for the
snow and ice removal than the previousyear due to more practical operations andother cost-saving measures.
Safe and Sound
bringing the total number of bridges
-ish more than a year ahead of schedule.
MoDOT Suggests PublicPrivate Partnership to Fix I-70
-A MoDOT plow clears snow from the highway.Missouri received record snowfall on Feb. 1.
A Publication for Employees of the Missouri Department of Transportation
Connect ionsJanuary 2012
5 74New to the LakeCentral Districtcelebrates completionof two major highwayprojects
10 Pure FocusFocus on the Roadparticipant nets newcar with commitment
MO 159 OpensAfter months of beingclosed due to waterdamage, the section isnow complete
Be SmartSW District launchesnew safety campaign
I n s i d e
continued on p.3
Transportation Events that Made News in 2011
-ing the drop in fatalities the top news story
every year since 2005 and are the lowestthey’ve been since 1949.
news in 2011:
Bolder Five-Year Direction
-tion Commission in June adopted a plan
more funding can be directed to needed
the use of public private partnerships for rebuilding the I-70 corridor between Kan-
Red Light Cameras Get Green LightA policy to help ensure cameras used toticket red-light runners are used fairly andconsistently was adopted by the commis-
guidance on how the cameras can be
used and more oversight to make sure thecameras are used to increase safety and
prevent injuries and death.
Cracking Down on Cell Phone UseWhile Driving
recommended a nationwide ban on theuse of personal electronic devices while
the heels of an announcement that com-mercial motor vehicle drivers are bannedfrom using hand-held mobile phones and
push-to-talk cell phones while driving.
Flooding Closes, Damages Roads
from their banks this summer causing
highways and lettered routes were com-
MoDOT Receives $20 Million in USDOT TIGER Funding
announced the award of $20 million to
A key component of the project is a pedes-trian land br idge over I-70 that will con-
-cants requesting $14.1 billion in funds.
available.
comes with a local match of $25 mil lion
-
criteria for projects is to enhance the qual-ity of living and working environments of communities through increased transpor-tation choices and connections.
“We are thrilled to receive this funding. Itenables us to start on the transportationcomponent of this great project of national
-
partner in this bigger project to transform
A Missouri state route is closed whilecrews replace the bridge deck for theSafe & Sound Bridge Program.
pletely destroyed by fast-moving water.Most of those are back in service.
Show Me My BuzzA new smartphone application launched
S h a u n
S c h m
i t z
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spoke in St. Louis withSecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (left) Dec. 21, 2011, about thebenets the TIGER funding will have for the city.
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MoDOT ListensOfcials seek remedyfor Route 71 bridge atPeculiar, MO
With the startof a new year,I have somegreat newsto share.MoDOTemployeeswent aboveand beyond,once again,to pledge a tremendous amount to theMissouri State Employees CharitableCampaign -- more than $170,000!
Connect ions
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Quite FranklyThe district winner for contributionsgoes to the St. Louis District whoraised more than $30 per capita. Thewinning team is the OrganizationalSupport Team, with more than $100 per capita raised.
Your contributions wi ll help so many people in need this year, and it makesme proud to be a part of this team.Thank you for all of your support tothis campaign. Well done!
Best wishes in 2012!
Kevin
With no increase in state or federalfunding in sight, MoDOT senior man-agement has taken the initial steps toexplore an alternative way to improveInterstate 70 across the state. Public-pri-vate partnerships would allow a privatecompany to fund and rebuildfrom St. Louis to Kansas City. MoDOThas already been given the okay toexplore this funding option from theFederal Highway Administration, anddiscussions with key legislative leaders
supporters at the state level.
“We actually began the process this pastsummer by meeting with key stake-holders who would be impacted by this
project,” said Governmental Relations
Director Jay Wunderlich. “That was fol-lowed by meetings with a few key statelegislators in each house.”
Sponsors will now be sought for legisla-tion to expand the use of PPPs in Mis-souri, which is currently limited to rail,
port, aviation and other non-highway projects. MoDOT previously receivedauthority to use a public-private partner-ship to build the New Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis, but chose not touse it.
Wunderlich said the legislation being proposed will only allow MoDOT to
develop a proposal to see if there isany interest in the private sector. OnceMoDOT determines the level of i nterest,it can put more details on how such a partnership would work in Missouri.The attraction for private companieswould be the ability to recover its invest-ment over a period of 20 to 30 years inthe form of tolls.
needed improvements to I-70 faster, a public private partnership would free upnearly $70 million to $90 million eachyear that is regularly spent on maintain-ing the 60-year-old interstate. Those
Creative Funding Proposal for I-70Tops 2012 Legislative Agenda
savings would mean more highwayimprovements around the state could be built. The state’s economy also would for 7-10 years during construction.
Other top priorities for the departmentduring the 2012 session will includelegislation to clean up the state’s drivingwhile intoxicated law, require medicalexamination requirements for commer-cial driver’s licenses, eliminate MoDOT
post termination hearings and includeMoDOT in the state’s “Move Over” Law.
Changes to the 2010 DWI law would bring the state into federal complianceand free up $16 million of federal-aidhighway funds each year, which is nowtransferred to the MoDOT HighwaySafety Program. This would give the
funds on both safety and constructionand maintenance projects. Another federal compliance issue would beremedied with proposed legislation toimplement medical examination require-ments for commercial driver’s licenses.Failure to pass this measure could cost
determined to be out of compliance and$60 million each year after that. Theelimination of post termination hear-ings would free department staff and
MHTC commissioners from the processand allow MoDOT employees to useother avenues within state government.Finally, proposed changes to the “MoveOver” Law would improve worker safety by requiring motorists to slow down or move over when approaching stationaryMoDOT vehicles displaying amber or amber and white warning l ights.
Wunderlich noted the general assembly’s biggest job this session will be tr imming
to offset the end of federal stimulusmoney. The 2012 session runs from Jan.4 to May 18.
Signals Cycle Overnight onMissouri Highways
At signalized intersections throughoutthe state, a subtle revision is expected tosave lives and prevent countless seriousinjuries.
Addressing a “Missouri Blueprint to Ar-rive Alive” goal to improve intersectionsafety, MoDOT now programs signals tooperate on a 24-hour basis, ending the
in the wee hours.
Cycles are programmed to show greenon the main road until a vehicle isdetected on the side street. The signalwill quickly change to green for thatmotorist.
by DeAnne Rickabaugh
As soon as the detected vehicle(s) pass, agreen light will return for the main road.
The changes are expected to reduce thenumber of nighttime r ight-angle colli-sions, commonly known as broadsideor T-bone crashes, at these intersec-tions. Studies of similar conversions in
North Carolina and Michigan resulted
in impressive safety improvements, witha 78 percent reduction of right-anglecrashes in N.C. and 91 percent fewer inMichigan.
Intersections without detection technol-ogy are programmed to operate withthree-signal cycles. Those controlled
by preset timing will eventually beupgraded with detection equipment.
The Mississippi River Bridge team isoffering an hour-and-a-half-long tour to
Friday of each month, starting in Febru-
ary, at 10 a.m. Attendees will get a short the past two years and get an opportuni-ty to see the on-going construction fromthe banks of the Mississippi River.
To make reservations for the tour, callAndrew Gates, St. Louis Customer Rela-
Tours may be canceleddue to the r iver levels or to constructionactivities.
Public tour attendees will need to dressappropriately, to include long pants andclosed-toed shoes, and will be expectedto walk about a mile as part of the tour.
MoDOT Employees Get Close Viewof New Bridge ConstructionMoDOT employees who would like to view on-going constructionfor the new Mississippi River Bridge can join in one of the bridge team’s monthly internal tours.
MoDOT employees will get a chance to take a tourof the Mississippi River Bridge beginning inFebruary.
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Pictured (l-r) is Danielle Thomas, Jennifer Jorgensen, Lisa Lemaster, LoriTackett, Elizabeth Oliver, Don Jones, Jackie Kampeter and Dawn Haslag.
The St. LouisDistrict wonfor this year’sdistrict contribu-tions. Pictured(l-r) are SandyFritz, Mike Foggand St. LouisDistrict EngineerEd Hassinger.
Tommy Kenny NW 11Larry Parsons NW 25Laverne Ward NW 8Jana Hughes NW 26Kim Nelson NW 26Perry Hannon KC 33Orville Johnson KC 32
Theodore DeWolf KC 29Twila Lee KC 16Gary Balke KC 26Kirk Juranas CD 76David Morris CD 30Jesse Gallagher CD 10Clinton Timmerman SL 27Richard Gross SL 28Edward Dishman SW 28Teresa Huntzicker SW 10William Leiber SW 25
ActiveDouglas Renick CD Nov. 1
35 YearsDale C. Niece NERichard D. Ziegelmeyer SLRobert O. Cannon SW
30 YearsWilliam A. Weitkamp KCKevin W. Golden SL
25 YearsKarl D. Davenport CD
20 YearsRobert E. Hendricks NEChristopher G. Redline KCSteven R. Wyrick KCArturo Gonzalez KCDavid T. Silvester CDWayne L. Shaver SE
15 YearsMargaret E. Justus NWSteven T. Rodgers NW
Dorothy J. Johnson NWPenny S. Priest CDSusan E. Ivy CDBrian W. Umeet SLCurt D. Woolsey SWCharles Corlew SEMichael W. Harris SEJason R. Vanderfeltz COWalter M. Rankin COJesse S. Elseman CO
10 YearsVince G. Kaimann SLBradley W. Ruble SLStuart R. McNeil SLBrett A. Foster SWJoseph D. Turner SWAdam R. Humphrey SWRobert J. Watson SWTodd W. Lowrance SWDarin R. Hamelink SWNathan R. Conner SEElvin W. Terrill SEJamie J. Schaeffer SEMichael D. Riley SEKeith E. Lee SEBrandon M. Hansberry CO
5 YearsKevin L. Christian NWDavid E. Allred NESamuel L. Closser NELori A. Wallace NEBret M. Cox KCJody L. Jordan KCGerri A. Doyle KCReid N. Riley KCMichael J. Winckler KCMichael J. Bax CDBrian K. Perry CDTodd J. Burgess SLKeith A. Sims SLC hr is top her L. Sc hae ff er SL
Retirees Retired From:John Bentley Former D2 Nov. 4Roy Riley CO Nov. 5Lawrence Stubbs Former D9 Nov. 5Primo Nicolai Former D2 Nov. 8William Kremer CO Nov. 8Peter Redel Former D5 Nov. 11Billy Gash Former D7 Nov. 12Edward Minshall Former D4 Nov. 13Donald Janssen CO Nov. 14Billy Alloway Former D1 Nov. 17Buren Lee Former D10 Nov. 23Thomas Shockley CO Nov. 24Howard Adam Former D3 Nov. 25
Alexander L. Wassman SLDouglas L. Hahs SLMichael A. Berger SECharles E. McFadden SEDouglas J. Geohagan SEDavid B. Hollmann SEErica Y. Cage COMatthew J. Lackman CO
Darwin Doll SW 27Gary Doolen SW 6
Barry Reynolds SE 7Danny Pruett SE 25Randolph Ross SE 27William Talley SE 16Carol Ricks CO 24Rita Fester CO 35Debra Sparks CO 23Madalynn Bell CO 23Janet Smyer CO 12
It’s already been called the “antidotefor the boring bridges,” and now theBroadway Overpass over I-670 in thesouthwest corner of Kansas City’sDowntown Loop can also be calledaward-winning.
Last month the bridge designers wereawarded a Merit Award in the DesignExcellence as part of the annual Ameri-can Institute of Architects Kansas CityDesign Excellence Awards.
The bridge design, which was in com- petition against several larger building projects, received many positive cri-tiques including one judge who called it,
“thought-provoking urban intervention.”This striking infrastructure is the resultof effective state and city cooperation,
-formance. A joint MoDOT and KansasCity effort, the Broadway Overpass
project expands and enhances a keyavenue through downtown.
Originally built in 1966, the structuresupports approximately 20,000 dailydrivers. The new bridge is wider andincludes 10-foot sidewalks for pedes-
trians attending events at Bartle Hall,the Power & Light District and the newKauffman Center for the PerformingArts.
The overpass closed in early May, andin record time, crews removed and
MoDOT and its general contr actor,Clarkson Construction Company, deliv-ered the completed project on time andunder budget.
The structure features that classic Kan-sas City art deco style that epitomizesthe city’s skyline. Backlit panels will
give the entire bridge a warm glow after the sun sets.
The Not Boring, Award-Winning Bridgeby Michelle Compton
in August is helping people makesmart choices about designating a sober driver. “Show Me My Buzz” allowsusers to calculate their estimated bloodalcohol concentration based on their weight, gender and how many and whatkind of drinks they’ve consumed.
MoDOT Crews Join in TornadoCleanup
Maintenance employees joined other emergency responders in clearing roads,
-ing needs and caring for those impacted
by a devastating tornado that hit Joplinon May 22.
Innovative Products and TechniquesThe department tested or use a number
of innovative tools in 2011, including:
A type of concrete designed toabsorb smog;A new machine called the Gator Getter that scoops up trash while
comfortable 45 to 50 mph;
Bags that takesthe place of 500 sand bags;A bridge-jack-ing techniquethat involves
building a bridge deck next to the
bridge beingrepaired and
then sliding the deck into place toreduce the impact to motorists.
More Riders, Happier RidersMissouri River Runner ridership rose
percent on-time performance rate andexcellent service continues to drawtravelers to the rails.
The yellow backlit panels provide nighttime illumination for pedestriantrafc along the Broadway Overpass, and a glowing beauty to the I-670trafc below.
Attendees must be at least 12 years old,and will have to sign a waiver (a parentor guardian must sign the waiver for
team will provide other safety gear needed to participate in the tour.
For people whose schedules may notallow them to participate in one of the public walking tours, the MRB team
has launched a virtual tour of the proj-ect. Visitors to the virtual tour can takea look at information about the con-struction process, see photos and v ideosof completed work and see what’s nextin the main span construction.To visit the virtual tour, surf to:www.newriverbridge.org/Virtual TourHomePage.htm .
Connections Editor Laura HollowayPhone 573.751.5985E-mail [email protected]
105 W. Capitol AvenueP.O. Box 270Jefferson City, MO 65109
for more info
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C e n t r a l O f f i c e
Focus on the Road Winner GetsNew Ford Focus
Central Ofce Bridge Division employees worked as a team to complete standards for severalthousand AASHTO LRFD concrete box culverts. The new standards will be available to benetdesigners throughout the state. Pictured (l-r) are Neal Isaak, Gregory Sanders, Drew Grimm,Boyd Denson, Darren Kemna and Mandy Raithel.
Bridge Division Planning Saves Time, MoneyA detailed process of up-front design
district design employees for manyyears to come.
A team of six employees in the Central -
ing for more than a year to complete-
25,000 design iterations were per-
-
would be considered nonstandard when
time and money going forward.
-signed. With design tables and detaileddrawings easily accessible, users can
take what they need for their project by
deal of time for designers throughout
-neering Policy Guide at http://epg.modot.org/index.php?title=751.8_
LRFD_Concrete_Box_Culverts .
Nearly 9,000 people made the pledge
and the winner was announced during
nearly 8,000 crashes nationwide. In
on makeup to tuning a radio, but themost common is using a cell phone.
increases the risk of a crash by as much
times more likely to be in a crash.
-
worth the risk of a crash.”
www.save-MOlives.com .
The Thomas Jefferson Middle School Orchestra brought some holidayspirit to Central Ofce on Dec. 13. with their winter performance.
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might start the engine of a brand new
pledged to focus on the road and not
said the car would make a nice replace-
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Jody Mealy of Portland, Mo., is the Focus on the Road winner. Herkey started up the engine of the 2012 Ford Focus donated by JoeMachens Ford.
Motorists in Holt County can now driveon U.S. 159 after months of closures
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million.
-This ribbon cutting celebrates the 600th bridge completed and thereopening of Route H in DeKalb County. The Route H bridge over DryBranch Creek opened to trafc on Thursday, Oct. 20. The bridge locatedthree miles north of MO 6 was closed for 25 days during construc-tion. This is one of 15 bridges scheduled for rehabilitation or replacementin DeKalb County.
Stanberry Mayor Charles Lawson cuts the ribbon at the reopening of U.S.136 in Gentry County, along with MoDOT District Design Engineer Troy
Slagle, other city and KTU representatives. This road closed to trafc inStanberry between U.S. 169 and Town Branch Bridge in April. Followingthe completion of the Town Branch bridge and the road reconstruction,project work progressed to the Moccasin Creek Bridge and nally theWildcat Creek Bridge in Nodaway County. U.S. 136 re-opened to trafcNov. 17. Approximately $3 million was spent on these four projects.
With the opening of Route E in DeKalb County Dec. 14, the NorthwestDistrict has completed 73 bridge projects in 2011, and the total bridges
completed is currently at 155. Thirty-ve bridge projects remain for 2012.
Northwest District Engineer Don Wichern and Area Engineer MikeRinehart (far right) at the 600th bridge ribbon cutting talking with Rep.Glenn Klippenstein and Chad Higdon of U.S. Congressman Sam Graves’ofce.
U.S. 159 opened recently in Holt County. The new section is pictured herebefore striping and new guardrails were added.
Ravaged by swift-moving ood wa-ters last summer, U.S. 159 sufferedsevere damage that took months torepair.
The “cut ‘n run” video can be found on MoDOT’s YouTube site. Picturedare Butch Mundle, Brian Haeffner, Steve Kullman, KTU, Bob See, RallsCounty presiding commissioner, Steve Whitaker, county commissioner,Chris Englbretson, KTU, Lydia Shumake, wife of Rep. Lindell Shumake,Alex Burnetti, KTU, Linda Laird, area resident, and Ray Bozarth with U.S.Sen. Blunt’s ofce.
Amy Crawford is NewArea Engineer
Around the District...As part of an enrich-ment program to helpthird graders identify theimportance of learningmath and reading, TrafcEngineer Steve Barteau,with the help of MoDOTemployee Dawn Miller,shared information withthird graders at Oakwood
Elementary in Hannibal.They learned about high-way signs, striping andhow to solve problemsusing math. Miller’s son,Mikey, is in the class.
The NE District ofce inHannibal played host tothe statewide customer re-lations manager’s meetinglast month. Held appro-priately, but not planned,on Mark Twain’s 176thbirthday, ambassadors toHannibal Tom Sawyer andBecky Thatcher greetedeveryone as they arrived.Pictured is Marie Elliott,CR Manager for the St.Louis District with Tomand Becky. Tom is Phil-lip Dauma, son of TanyaDauma of general services.
The annual Children’s Christmas Party was held in the district ofcelast month, playing host to about 20 children from the Hannibal area.Fundraisers are held throughout the year to raise money to buy giftsfor each child, and MoDOT “buddies” are assigned to each child tohelp with the event. Each department provides every child with gifts,such as cookies, gloves, crayons, etc., but Santa gets to hand out thebig gifts. Pictured above is Bob Johnston, one of the kids’ buddies,giving Santa the packages. Santa was a real hit and bears close resem-blance to MoDOT retiree Donnie Kinsler.
More than 40 employeeswere recognized lastmonth for their long-term safety history. Eachwas presented a giftand plaque by DistrictEngineer Paula Gough.She is pictured here with35-year Safety Awardrecipient Butch Mundle,who is a maintenancesuperintendent.
Customer Relations Manager Jennifer BeneeldPhone 816.607.2153E-mail [email protected]
600 NE Colbern RoadLee’s Summit, MO 64086
for more info
Across the Sta te
Connect ionsJ a n u a r y 2 0 1 2
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K a n s a s C i t y D i s t r i c t
Ramp Metering is SuccessfulProgram Reduces Crashes, Improves Travel Times
In an effort to improve safety anddecrease congestion, Kansas CityScout deployed a ramp metering pilot program in March 2010. The systemwas implemented on I-435 between
Metcalf Avenue and the Three TrailsMemorial Crossing using special
which vehicles enter the freeway fromon-ramps. A 12-month evaluationshows the program’s overall success,
of using ramp meters.
The evaluation report considered theeffectiveness of the meters based ongathered information pertaining tosafety and accident reduction; speedsand travel times; compliance of the
management; and includes feedback
law enforcement. Utilizing on-siteobservation and Scout closed circuit
conditions from two years prior toinstallation along I- 435.
The results indicate ramp metering hasreduced accidents by 64 percent. Prior to the meters, this portion of I-435 hadan average of 44 accidents per year.After implementation, that number dropped to an average of 16 accidents,decreasing merging accidents by 81
percent.
Travel times along south I-435 alsoimproved. Kansas City motoristsexperience less than one minute of
Cass County’s fastest growing town isdivided by Route 71, but the citizens of Peculiar came together with MoDOTand city leaders in December to decide
important bridge that connects the city.
For several years, MoDOTmaintenance crews had repeatedly
patched the 43-year-old bridge at theinterchange of Routes J and C over Route 71. The 249-foot-long deck of the two-lane bridge was due for adeck-replacement, and the KC Districtscheduled that $1.2 million project for 2012.
Early this fall, engineers and designers
put together plans to replace andwiden the deck to add a barrier-
protected sidewalk, either through a partial closure that would leave opena narrow lane on the deck for up to90 days, or total closure for 40 daysor less. Some 70 percent of the town’s4,600 population lives west of theinterchange; the remaining 30 percentto the east.
Further complications include thearea’s school campus – elementary,middle school and high school – onthe east side, as is the Flying J truck stop, a major merchant and revenuegenerator for the town. On the west
side are most of the town’s merchants,
stations. A bridge closure wouldsplit the town.
MoDOT met in mid-October with Peculiar’s Mayor ErnestJungmeyer, City Administrator Brad Ratliffe and City Engineer Carl Brooks to discuss the twooptions for deck replacement.MoDOT asked what other
issues might also be weighed
asked that the closure not occur when school is in session, toinclude summer school. Theyalso scheduled two communitycelebrations in June, and askedthat the work not start until after the Independence Day holiday.
District Engineer Dan Niec explainedthat the department has experiencewith either option, leaving open a laneor total shutdown, but that each projectis different. Regardless of the chosen
understand that the work would beextremely disruptive to commerce,commuting and to the daily lives of area residents. Whichever option waschosen, MoDOT would work quickly tominimize disruption.
that a total closure would be preferred.Before proceeding, however, MoDOTalso wanted to discuss the issue withthe truck stop and school district. Theywould be the most affected by either choice. Both the truck stop operators
shorter disruption.
The mayor presented the plan to thecity council in November. Some
merchants on the west side wereconcerned. A four-mile detour would
several merchants insisted on keepingthe bridge open. They asked MoDOT
to come to a Chamber of Commercemeeting Dec. 2 to explain the optionsand to listen to their concerns.
Area Engineer Matt Killion, assisted by Project Manager Allan Ludiker, brought brochures explaining theoptions and a display map showingthe detour. During a meeting thatstretched beyond an hour, Killion andLudiker laid out the details, discussedthe challenges and answered questions.In the end, all but three of the 100attending preferred total closure. Thework is scheduled to begin after July 4,2012 and be completed by mid-August.
MoDOT Listens, Helps CommunityReach Consensusby Steve Porter
Area Engineer Matt Killion (left) responded to questions from morethan 100 citizens of Peculiar who were concerned about a bridge projectat Route J/C at Route 71. Mayor Ernest Jungmeyer (right) also eldedquestions at the Dec. 2 meeting in the Cass County town of 4,600.
Ramp metering, seen here, has been an effective tool used to improve safetyand reduce congestion at some of the Kansas City region’s busier on-ramps.
additional wait time on the ramps,which was less than Scout anticipatedwhen it educated the public aboutramp meters. Ramp metering coupled
1511 Missouri BoulevardP.O. Box 718Jefferson City, MO 65102
for more info
8
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This new roadway will help to relieve
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MoDOT Director Kevin Keith met with districtemployees on Nov. 28 at the Rolla maintenancebuilding in Phelps County. Keith outlined his topfour priorities for the department and took ques-tions on topics ranging from employee stafngto the possibility of Interstate 70 becoming a tollroad facility.
Celebration HighlightedNew Highways at the Lake
Around the District
District Safety and Health Manager Chris Engelbrecht dis-cusses ‘after hours’ emergency contacts during an incidentmanagement training for maintenance crew leaders and su-pervisors. The training, held on Nov. 21, served as a refreshercourse on the best ways to handle trafc during highwayincidents. It also included presentations from representativesfrom Gateway Guide and KC Scout.
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Lake Ozark Mayor Johnnie Franzeskos and OsageBeach Mayor Penny Lyons cut the ribbon on Route 242to celebrate the completion of both projects.
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Members of the Lake Ozark Cub Scout Pack 21 openedthe ceremony by presenting the ags.
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District Engineer David Silvester and OsageBeach Mayor Penny Lyons at the ribboncutting for U.S. 54.
Members of the School of the Osage Marching Indians lead the paradeof vehicles as they travel down the new Route 242.
Customer Relations Marie ElliottPhone 314.453.1807E-mail [email protected]
1590 Woodlake DriveChestereld, MO 63017
for more info
Across the Sta te
Connect ionsJ a n u a r y 2 0 12
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S t . L o u i sD i s t r i c t
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St. Louis Road Milestones“Completed As Promised”by Kara Price and Jack Wang
MoDOT, Village of Oak Grove, City of Sullivan and elected ofcials cut theribbon on Dec. 2 to mark the completion of the Interstate 44 and Route185 Interchange Widening Project in Franklin County.
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MoDOT, Shoulders for Safety group and elected ofcials cut the ribbonon December 9 to mark the completion of safety improvements on Route94, Route D, Route DD, and Route P in St. Charles County.
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Shoulders for Safety
Boone Bridge Design-BuildProcess Beginsby Linda Wilson
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www.modot.org/boone-bridge.
A view of the existing westbound Interstate 64 Boone Bridge overthe Missouri River connecting St. Charles and St. Louis counties.
Bike Plan Team is Awarded forLeadership Efforts
East-West Gateway Council of Governments recently recognizedMoDOT’s St. Louis region with an award for the Gateway Bike Plan’sleadership, planning and design innovation. Pictured left: Laura Ellen,MoDOT’s representative on the regional bike plan team, and Ed Has-singer, St. Louis District Engineer, proudly accept the award.
Customer 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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S o u t h w e s t D i s t r i c t
‘Be Smart. Be Safe.Be Here Tomorrow!’by Bob Edwards
Is it wise to swing out of a truck caband jump down onto a snowy lot?
Is it focusing ahead to walk across agarage bay with arms loaded downwith gear while thinking back on your kid’s ball game last night?
Not on your life.
That’s wherethe SouthwestDistrict’s newsafety emphasisand motto – “BeSmart, Be Safe,Be Here Tomor-row!” – comeinto play.
“We don’t want folks getting hur t. Pe-riod,” Safety and Health Manager GaryMcLarry said.
So getting into and out of a truck cabrequires three-point contact. And whencarrying items, make sure you do nothaul too much at once, think aboutwhere you are going and keep your eyes open to avoid slipping or tripping.
The issue of remaining injury-free isa practical one as well. The SouthwestDistrict has plenty of work to accom-
plish andevery handis needed,Senior Safety
Clinton said.
“We’ve gotto keep our
people working,” Clinton said.
In 2012, the district will turn up thevolume on safety.
A new safety slogan, submitted byStockton Senior Maintenance Worker Robin Wright, and logo, crafted bySenior Highway Designer Sharon
Needham, have been developed. Newsafety-themed posters will be circu-lated. Weekly emails with safety tipsand reminders will be made as timelyas possible.
McLarry and Clinton plan to spend
zones and checking whether employeesare following safety procedures.
“We’re going to pu ll into work zonesand review the processes employeesare using for the task at hand and makesure they have all their safety equip-ment and personal protect ion in place,”McLarry said.
safety challenge.
“We’re watchingout for ourselvesand everybody onthe road,” McLarry
said.Concerted safetyefforts in the recent
past have beensuccessful, he said.
That includes campaigns to boost seat- belt use to 100 percent and to improvethe setting up of work zones.
-tion in slips, trips and falls.
More to come in 2012.
2011: 66 Safe & Sound Bridges Completed2012: Only 21 More Will Complete Programby Lori Marble
The Southwest District, with solid planning and consistent teamwork withcontractors, completed 66 bridge proj-ects in 2011 under MoDOT’s Safe &Sound program.
That leaves only 21 more bridges toreplace or rehabilitate in 2012 of thedistrict’s 125-bridge total.
Statewide, MoDOT is repairing or
replacing 802 bridges under Safe &Sound, with the program expected to be completed by the end of 2012 – ayear ahead of schedule. Construction began in 2009.
Assistant District Construction and Ma-terials Engineer Jim Conley, regionalcoordinator for Safe & Sound through2011, said many distr ict bridges werecompleted in 40 to 50 days.
“It’s rewarding to get br idges done thatquickly,” Conley said. “A lot of other states are looking at us as a model.”
“I think we’ll pick out a lot of goodideas and for quite some time be imple-
menting best practices we’ve gleanedfrom working with KTU (Construc-tors),” Conley said.
The Safe & Sound projects were com- pleted as work moved forward on manyother construction projects – the Route60/65 reconstruction, building severalinterchanges along U.S. 71 and rehabili-tating three major bridges apart fromSafe & Sound.
The Safe & Sound campaign had con-tractor crews straining to meet tightconstruction deadlines, kept districtconstruction inspectors on the go for long hours, had maintenance employeesscurrying to put up and take down con-struction and detour signs and pushedcommunity relations and customer ser-vice staff to put out timely informationand to stay current on progress so theycould respond to customers’ questions.
“I think we’ve gone a long way toward building a good reputation with our customers,” said Sean Matlock, South-west District Safe & Sound projectmanager.
Highlights for 2011
Creek at Bradleyville was opened Oct.5 – right on time – after 66 days of construction. At 445 feet, it is the lon-
gest bridge in the st ate’s Safe & Sound project list.
River west of Aurora was completedthree weeks ahead of schedule – awelcome accomplishment for a projectthat closed busy Route 60 and detoured
Verona and the middle of Aurora.
a branch of the Little North Fork River near Mindenmines – actually a box cul-vert replacement – took only one week to complete.
pilings put some bridges behind sched-ule, including the Route 125/FinleyRiver bridge north of Sparta and theDallas County Route K/Niangua River
bridge east of Buf falo. However, thenew bridges replaced aging structuresneeding frequent repair and were wel-come improvements.
Sound projects were completed.
“Talkin’ Transportation” Call-In Radio Show
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SW Districtat Work
Gary McLarry, left, and Gary Clinton
B o
b E d w a r d s
A n g e
l a E d e n
Cutting brush along U.S. 71near Adrian is Butler Inter-mediate Maintenance Work-er Randy Cantrell.
Branson Intermediate Construc-tion Inspector Chris Mills mea-sures a new concrete curb alongthe recently built DivergingDiamond Interchange at Route248/65 in Branson.
Kevin Williams volunteers andcooks chili to assist with theChristmas Angels Chili Dinner.
This year, the event raised nearly$5,500.
“It is touching to see such an outpouringof generosity, especially at a time whenthe economy is down,” said Transpor-tation Project Designer Jeff Wachter.
“The event continues to generate moreand more proceeds each year.”
Wachter explained this year’s dinner generated almost $500 more than lastyear’s event.
MoDOT began accepting orders for chili in early November. Despite a slowstart, over 70 businesses and indi-viduals lent their support through chiliorders, gift cards and donations. Other area organizations provided their equip-ment to enable MoDOT volunteers to
prepare chili.
“We can’t thank the businesses, organi-zations and individuals enough for their continued support of the ChristmasAngels Program,” said Senior DesignTechnician Kathy Harrison. “Theymade it possible to help over 100 chil-dren this year.”
While the dinner is complete, donations
will continue to be accepted. Busi-nesses or individuals wishing to donateto the Christmas Angels program maysend or drop their donations by the Di-vision 10 Highway Employees’ CreditUnion located at 337 N. Main St. inSikeston, Mo. Checks can be made outto the Division 10 Highway Employees’Credit Union c/o Christmas Angels.
If you or your companywould like to be addedto the list for the 2012Christmas Angels ChiliDinner, please send your name, address and phone
Many people have fond memories of waking up early on Christmas, rushingto the tree and then spying the specialgift they had been longing for all year carefully waiting among an assortmentof wrapping paper, bows and orna-ments. For some families, making thesememories is easy. But others sometimesneed a little extra help. In the SoutheastDistrict, that’s where the ChristmasAngels program comes in.
The Christmas Angels program began25 years ago with a simple crock pot of chili for coworkers to share. Now, theSE District’s Christmas Angels ChiliDinner has over 50 volunteers whowork to grant Christmas wishes for underprivileged families in SoutheastMissouri.
5-Year Service Award Recipients: (front l-r) : Christopher “CJ” Ordonia,George Alston, Jose Cervantes, Shelly Cooper, Sarah Messmer (backl-r) Thomas “Neal” Taegtmeyer, Scott Croney, Jerrod Jernigan, RonaldThomason, Michael Wake, Richard Eggers, Todd Siler
10-Year Service Award Recipients: (front l-r) Travis Reese, Marion Cora, PaulVanbibber, Michael Frazier, Erin Collins, Lisa Camden, James Young(back l-r) Nikki Knight, Janice Murr, Randall Ipock, William Scharnhorst,Benjamin Meredith, James Henson, Donald Thomas, John Allen, ScottSifford, William Johnson, Melanie Rickard-Elmore
15-Year Service Award Recipients: (front l-r) Jessie Fulton, Nathan Hunt,Terry Fields, Brian Wallace, Michael Harris (back l-r) Howard McNew, TysonRutledge, Harold Merritt, Kelly Martin, Steve Limbaugh, Douglas Clark
20-Year Service Award Recipients: (front l-r) John Davis, Brian Frazier,Debbie Foster, Shelly Cauldwell, Cathy Morrison (back l-r) Ronald Bollinger,Randy Gholson, Shannon Inman, Terry Walker, Jeffrey Byrge, Richard Elijah,Ed Hess, Mark Barton
25-Year Service Award Recipients: (front l-r) Kristin Ryan, Debbie Strobel,William “Bill” Goodman, Jackie Jenkins (back l-r) Jay Trammell, Bruce Woods,Donald Cooper, David Vaughn, Tommy Woods
2011 Service Award Recipients
Granting Christmas Wishesto Children in Need
Mike Smith and his son, Shane, doublecheck their shopping list and discuss what tobuy next.
