Durable paint markings improve safety - 3ScourWatch ------------------------------------- 4-5Iowa’s Interstate Highway System------ 6-7Ag Aviation Summit ---------------------------- 8May is Motorcycle Awareness Month ---- 9Trophy Case --------------------------------- 10-11Family Happenings ----------------------- 12-13Hale Bridge move ------------------------------ 16

was more than just a movie about a music star to us.We talked about the details of the past, our Dad’s joyat the telling of this story, and how this was onesmall example of Cash’s attempts to “atone.” Welaughed about how much fun Dad would’ve had, ifstill alive, pulling that old check out of his walletnow!

So, what’s the moral of the story? I’m not sure.Partly, I just like telling it because I think it says alot about the human spirit, both Johnny Cash’s inbelieving it’s never too late to live up to yourcommitments, and my Dad’s in finding a muchgreater joy in having a story to tell than in makingsome extra money by selling the check. But, maybethe most relevant message for us as state workers isthat, just because our work doesn’t often get imme-diately recognized or rewarded, doesn’t mean itdoesn’t matter. People notice a job well-done, andthe pay-back will come…..sooner or later. Keep upthe good work!

As I close, I want to shift gears for a moment.The past few weeks have been difficult for Iowastate government. Questions have been raised aboutthe appropriate use of state funds, whether personalrelationships affected funding decisions, and whetherproper oversight occurred. While the situation nowin the news is not a DOT matter, it certainly reflectson all of us who work for the state.

Like all of you, I’m sorry this happened. It iscritical that we do our work in ways that are fair,equitable and ethical. I am committed to doing soand expect the same of everyone at DOT. I know youjoin me in reaffirming the DOT’s commitment todoing everything we do to the highest of ethicalstandards. We owe it to ourselves, our coworkers,and our fellow Iowans. Thanks for doing what we dothe “right way.”

PAGE 2 MAY 2006

Last month I saw the movie “Walk theLine” about Johnny Cash. AlthoughI’ve never been a country music fan, Imust admit to having a soft spot in myheart for Johnny Cash because of an

unusual personal connection. Let me share astory….

In 1960 Cash was a young performer on the risewho had already had his first hit record. On a verycold winter night, he performed at Matter’s Ballroomoutside my hometown of Decorah. The car thatdelivered him to his “gig” was not prepared for theextremely cold temperatures that come with winterin northeast Iowa. With inadequate antifreeze in theradiator, the car froze up and needed to be thawedand have more antifreeze added.

My Dad owned a service station (rememberthose?) on the edge of town on the road to Matter’s.While Cash performed, his car was brought to myDad’s station for the needed service. When the driverreturned to get the car, he took it for a test spin andnever returned to pay the bill. My Dad got anaddress for Cash from Matter’s Ballroom, mailed abill, but payment was never received.

Well, technically I can’t say “never.” Seventeenyears later, an acquaintance of Cash with Decorahconnections (what are the odds of that?) told himabout the debt. A check dated Feb. 9, 1977, payablefrom John R. Cash or June Carter Cash arrived fromHendersonville, Tennessee, in the amount of $29.92!This represented payment of the original charge of$9.89, plus approximately 6 percent annual interest.

Many people would’ve framed the check ormaybe sold it to a collector for a tidy sum. Not myDad. He folded it up and put it in his wallet andcarried it until the day he died in 1999. Over theyears he pulled it out and showed it to friendsMANY times. When Dad died we found the tatteredcheck in his wallet and news clippings from the localand Des Moines newspapers about the check that myMom had saved.

After seeing the movie, I called my brother whois the custodian of the weathered check and yellowednewspaper clippings. We talked about how the movie

Editor’s note: Director Richardson was unani-mously confirmed by the Iowa Senate as director ofthe Iowa Department of Transportation on April 12.

MAY 2006 PAGE 3

If you hadn’t noticed, winter in Iowa can bebrutal. Pavement markings on our roadwaystake a beating from nature and from our ownequipment as DOT operators increase safety by

removing snow and ice from the roads.“Ice blades are really hard on the pavement

markings,” said Mark Black, District 2 maintenancemanager. “We use a lot more anti-icing technologythan we used to, so we don’t have to use ice bladesas much, but when we do use them they tend toscrape the reflective beads, and sometimes even thepaint, off the roads.”

High traffic areas were a main concern whenassessing the performance of pavement markings.Visibility of both the center and edge lines is crucialin Iowa’s rainy spring season. Our own safety peopleand local law enforcement personnel had concernsabout visibility, and the DOT’s Office of Mainte-nance and district paint crews responded.

Several years ago the DOT began experimentingwith what are called “durable” paint markings. Thepaint was typically an epoxy that needed to beapplied using specialized equipment. “We would hirea paint contractor to put down the durable pavementmarkings, but we still didn’t have a good feel forhow long this should last and what type of beadswould be best to use,” said Black. “The paint andhiring an outside vendor to apply it was expensiveand we didn’t know the value being provided.”

“Our main objective is to have all of the pave-ment paint lines on the primary highway systemexceed the minimum reflectivity requirements everyday of the year,” said Will Zitterich of the Office ofMaintenance. “Right now that isn’t happening, sowe’re working to improve both the products chosenand application processes.”

To explore ways to improve our paintingprogram, the DOT formed its own durable pavementmarking committee in cooperation with researchersat Iowa State University (ISU). The group studiesthe effectiveness of the products being used andevaluates alternatives that could be applied using ourown equipment. The effort started out as a way toensure at least one year, and hopefully multipleyears, of visibility. “At that time,” said Black, “weweren’t even looking at reflectivity. We just wantedsomething that would stay down multiple years andbe visible in the daylight hours. The industry wasn’tgoing after reflectivity at that time in the late 80sand early 90s.”

Durable paint markings improve safety

• 33,000 (estimated) pavement marking linemiles in the state highway system

• $5 million (projected cost) to apply markings tothe entire system

• 14,200 line miles of paint applied in calendaryear 2004

• 16,200 line miles of paint applied in calendaryear 2005- 11,600 miles with regular waterborne

markings- 4,600 miles with durable waterborne

marking• 280,000 gallons of paint used in calendar

year 2005• 2,900,000 pounds of beads used in calendar

year 2005

Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint go to page 8

In 2003 the DOT experimented with the firstround of high-build, “durable” waterborne paintapplied by our own equipment. As testing continuedand the products evolved, the focus of the durablepavement marking committee moved from just

Iowa pavementmarking facts

PAGE 4 MAY 2006

April showers can bringmore than May flowers

Scouring Scouring Scouring Scouring Scouring go to next page

The major cause of bridgefailures in the UnitedStates is floodingand the scour it creates.

Scour is the result of the erosiveaction of flowing water, excavat-ing and carrying away materialfrom the bed and banks of astream, and from around the piersand abutments of bridges. TheFederal Highway Administrationhas mandated that all bridges beevaluated for susceptibility todamage resulting from scour.

Of particular concern werescour-critical bridges - bridgessuceptible to catastrophic failureor structural instablilty as a resultof excessive scour caused by adestructive flood event. A bridgeis classified as scour-critical basedon one of the following: (1)observed scour at the bridge site;or (2) scour potential, as deter-mined by a scour evaluation study.

Currently, 25,000 bridges inthe United States are scour-critical, meaning their foundationscould fail due to erosion. Follow-ing evaluation of Iowa’s approxi-mately 2,100 state-controlledbridges over waterways, 178bridges in our state system arenow classified as scour-critical.

Once a structure is identifiedas scour-critical, the bridge musthave a plan of action (POA) thataddresses the potential deficienciesof the structure. To protect thepublic from the potential effectsof scour, the DOT has alreadyimplemented scour countermea-sures for some of its bridges withhigh traffic volumes, since closureduring a flood event would have asignificant impact on traffic flow.These locations are protected witheither riprap or articulatedconcrete block mats, which canwithstand a flood event withoutjeopardizing the integrity of thestructure.

For those structures that donot currently have a countermea-sure, the POA requires the bridgebe closed if the water surfaceelevation reaches a 25-year floodlevel.

With the technology availabletoday, the ability to forecast andpredict flooding has become moreaccurate. With more accurateflood forecasts, the ability topredict possible damage to bridgesfrom that flooding can also bemore precise. Being able torespond quickly to flooding for ascour-prone structure can increasemotorist safety and save taxdollars by targeting inspections tothose bridges that may be inactual danger.

Identifying scour-critical bridges

In past flood situations, theDOT has inspected each bridge inareas where flooding has oc-curred. After the flooding innortheast Iowa in 2004, approxi-mately 70 bridges were inspectedfor scour at a conservativelyestimated cost of $50,000. Of the70 bridges inspected, 20 were inneed of repair. With a typicalseason producing several floodscenarios in multiple counties, theDOT needed to come up with amore cost-effective, yet safe, wayto reduce unnecessary inspections.

Bill Kaufmann of the Officeof Bridges and Structures deviseda database to manage the informa-tion about these bridges.“Thisdatabase outlines our plan ofaction in the event of damage toone of the bridges,” saidKaufmann. “The plan of actionfollows the federal methodologyand uses data to determinewhether a bridge is ‘scour-safe’ or‘scour-critical’.” Kaufmann’sdatabase and method of identify-ing a plan of action has been

MAY 2006 PAGE 5

Scouring Scouring Scouring Scouring Scouring from previous page

recognized around the country,and now serves as a model forother states.

ScourWatchIdentifying our scour-critical

bridges and the plans of actionwas just a first step. Next wasdevising a way to monitor thesebridges in a potential flood. Topredict more accurately whichbridges might be threatenedduring destructive floodingevents, the DOT has been using aprogram called ScourWatch™, aWeb-based monitoring technologydeveloped by a New Jerseycompany.

The ScourWatch system usesNational Weather Service (NWS)and United States GeologicalSurvey (USGS) gauge sources topinpoint exactly where heavyrains are falling. According toDave Claman, transportationengineer manager in the Office ofBridges and Structures, theoriginal ScourWatch productmeasured rainfall only at thebridge site itself, not taking intoaccount the drainage basins wherefloodwaters might be flowingtowards a bridge. “Bill Kaufmannworked with the vendor to modifythe program to include an evalua-tion of the drainage basinsobtained from geographic infor-mation systems (GIS) data,” saidClaman. “We think the systemwill produce fewer false warningsof possible flooding at our bridgesites by having the program assessthe amount of rainfall occurringover the entire drainage basin.”

ScourWatch integratesmeteorological, hydrological andgeological data in real-time, andcompares the collected values withthreshold values established foreach bridge in the system. Someof the data the information reliesupon includes bridge information

maintained by the DOT; historicaldata from past floods; real-timehydrologic data supplied by theUSGS network of automated rainand stream flow gauges andsatellite telemetry; and highresolution spatial and temporalprecipitation information from theNWS Doppler radar system.

When the rainfall amount orgauge height associated with abridge indicates that theScourWatch thresholds have beenexceeded, an automatic notifica-tion by text message is sent to thedistrict operations manager’s(DOM) cell phone. The DOM canthen contact the maintenancesupervisor in the area to conduct amanual check of the bridge area.ScourWatch information can alsobe accessed on the Internet by anauthorized user. Claman said,“This allows us to monitorthreatened bridges even beforewaters rise. As the threat in-creases, the bridge and roadwaycan be closed to prevent possibleloss of life.”

Testing the systemThe integrated system was

beta-tested using simulated floodevents last fall. Claman said, “Thebeta testing was successful inevaluating the system’s ability toalert personnel when establishedthresholds were exceeded.”

A “live” test will enable theDOT to evaluate the reliability ofthe data provided. In particular,the department is interested inevaluating the accuracy of thesystem in predicting when signifi-cant flooding for existing bridgeswill occur. Claman adds, “Thistechnology will essentiallyeliminate the guesswork whendetermining which bridges toinspect during flood events. It willallow us to allocate resources tothose locations that are mostcritical.”

(photo below) Flooding caused scour to occur around the abutments of the U.S. 18bridge in Chickasaw County. (photo above) After the flood waters receded, repairs weremade and countermeasures installed intended to help prevent future scouring.

PAGE 6 MAY 2006

LAST IN A SERIES

The beginning of construction on the Interstate Highway System celebrates50 years in 2006. For the last nine months we’ve highlighted aspects of theInterstate Highway System leading up to its 50th Anniversary Celebration inJune. The June edition of INSIDE will be completely dedicated to that marvelof modern engineering.

he Iowa Highway Commission started witha blank slate when they began sketching out

Iowa’s portions of the Interstate HighwaySystem. Efforts were quickly initiated to

begin design of the system, acquire the neededright-of-way, and finally, build what was to be

a 710-mile, ultra-safe highway system.

Iowa’s original interstate plan included thedevelopment of Interstates 29, 35, 74 and 80. TheHighway Commission estimated it would costtaxpayers $478.77 million to complete all 710 miles.

Eventually, other freeways were added to Iowa’splan and the total miles was raised to 781.51. Withthe additional highways, the Highway Commissionrevised its estimated cost to $588.6 million.

In October 1956 the Highway Commission letthe first interstate project for bid. By Sept. 21, 1958,the first section was opened to the public. Theproject was a short segment at the southwest edge ofDes Moines - I-35/I-80.

On Nov. 7, 1976, the Iowa Department ofTransportation became one of the nation’s leaders incompleting the four-lane Interstate Highway Systemby opening a 50-mile segment on I-35 betweenformer U.S. 20 near Williams and former Iowa 106near Clear Lake. The opening marked completion ofthe original 710 miles of the system.

On Sept. 12, 1985, nearly 27 years after the firstsection of roadway opened in 1958, Iowa’s interstatesystem was complete. The last section opened to thepublic was located on Interstate 380, the link be-tween Waterloo and Iowa City. The largest and mostexpensive public works project in the state’s historytotaled 781.51 miles, cost $1.05 billion and wasconstructed at a cost of $1.34 million per mile.

Maintaining the investmentAmerica’s Interstate Highway System is now

becoming a victim of its own success. In 1956Congress never envisioned its incredible results -more people are traveling to more places than everbefore. Americans are traveling almost twice asmuch as they did in 1973, and the number of carsand trucks on the nation’s roads has increased bymore than 50 percent.

This success poses a real dilemma for Americans.Though highway spending has increased steadily

Iowa’s Interstate Highway System

Interstate Interstate Interstate Interstate Interstate go to next page

Centerline of I-35 near Cumming looking northin 1957 (above) and 2006 (below)

MAY 2006 PAGE 7

since 1956, it has not kept up with inflation. Fund-ing is falling short of what is needed to maintain thesystem.

The combination of this incredible success andpotential lack of funding means that in the futureIowans may be facing a bumpy road. During its 50-year life, the Interstate Highway System has taken areal beating from high usage and vehicle weights.Nearly 35 percent of the urban interstates in thecountry are rated as being in poor or mediocrecondition.

Iowa’s commitment to the system is evident toanyone passing through Des Moines. Interstate 235through the city is in the midst of a $426 millionreconstruction with completion scheduled for 2007.Once this huge undertaking is complete, the DOT hasset its sights on reconstruction of the interstates inthe Council Bluffs area, as well as work in SiouxCity and Iowa City.

BenefitsOne of the greatest benefits the interstate pro-

vided was a significant reduction in travel time. In1956 the average speed between major metropolitancities in Iowa was 36.5 miles per hour. Today, withthe safety enhancements of the interstate, thosespeeds are nearly doubled and travel times cut inhalf.

Construction of the interstate can be closelylinked to Iowa’s economic growth over the past 40years. Improved accessibility to markets, rawmaterials and consumers increased the use of the landnear interstate routes. The highway system alsobenefited employers and employees by broadeningthe labor and job markets and reducing commutertravel times.

Linking one state to another brought newtourism and recreational opportunities as well. Pilinginto the station wagon for a cross-country tripbecame a tradition for many American families.Development of recreational facilities along theseroutes also blossomed. Today, there are travelers whoplan trips just to see Iowa’s 10 new-generation restareas situated along the Interstate Highway System.

The 2006 reenactment caravanThe American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and its memberstates invite you to participate in a reenactmentcaravan of Eisenhower’s 1919 trek. Beginning in SanFrancisco, CA, and ending in Washington, D.C., thecaravan will travel nearly 3,000 miles along theInterstate Highway System on a route parallel to thattaken by Eisenhower during the epic 1919 transcon-tinental military cavalcade. The motorcade will stopon June 23 at Living History Farms in Urbandale.Attractions planned for the event include a concertheadlined by Jerry Martin and the Sounds (with ourown DOTer, Layton Zbornik III) from Mason City.The second stopover later that day will be at theIowa 80 Truckstop near Walcott. That stop willinclude a reception for the caravan participants and atour of Iowa 80’s Trucking Hall of Fame museum.

Eisenhower crossed Iowa in 1919, where thesoldiers battled days of engine-clogging dust, andbridges and culverts that collapsed under the weightof their heavy trucks. Despite the difficulties thetroops encountered, the caravan was greeted bythrongs of welcoming Iowans who supplied themwith bountiful Iowa hospitality. Eisenhower ac-knowledged that this trek laid the foundation for hisbelief that the nation required an efficient InterstateHighway System.

Interstate Interstate Interstate Interstate Interstate from previous page

Current bridge construction on I-235 in Des Moines

Eisenhower’s 1919 caravan stopped in Tama

PAGE 8 MAY 2006

Ag AviationSummit bringsstakeholderstogetherby Tim McClung

As corn and soybean growers enter the fieldsfor the 2006 growing season, agriculturalpilots from around Iowa are gearing up to

provide aerial application services to assist farmers incombating insects andother crop problems.As part of that effort,a first-of-its-kind AgAviation Summit wassponsored by theDOT’s Office ofAviation March 17 inAnkeny. The maingoal of the summit

was to open lines of communication, identify issuesand address ways to enhance agricultural aviation inthe state.

Twenty people representing a cross section ofairport managers, agricultural aviation operators andgovernment officials participated in the summit.Attending were representatives from our Office ofAviation, Iowa Ag Aviation Association, National AgAviation Association, Iowa Public Airports Associa-tion, Iowa Department of Agriculture, and theFederal Aviation Administration. Summit discussionsfocused on operations at public airports, safety andsecurity, public awareness of the role of agriculturalaviation, and licensing requirements. Participantsagreed future collaborative efforts will be beneficialin the enhancement of agricultural aviation in thestate.

Agricultural aviation is an important industry inthe state of Iowa and provides an economic benefitthrough job creation and improved crop production.A total of 54 Iowa businesses are licensed throughthe Iowa Department of Agriculture to conductagricultural aviation operations. Additionally, morethan 100 out-of-state operators are licensed in Iowa.

For more information on agricultural aviationissues, an executive summary of the Ag AviationSummit is available on the DOT’s Office of AviationWeb site at iawings.com (click on Publications &Education/Ag Aviation).

having the paint stay in place, to the more pressingsafety issue of reflectivity to be seen at night andwhile the pavement is wet. Zitterich said, “We’vefound that the higher the initial reflectivity, thelonger the paint lines will last.”

“The industry is catching up with what we’redemanding,” said Black. “There is a choice ofproducts now available and all six paint crewsregularly measure reflectivity and minimum require-ments that have been included in updated paintspecifications for the first time this year.”

Although the products have come a long way,there is still room for improvement. Black saidexperimentation continues with paint/bead combina-tions on roads with different traffic levels and withrecessed pavement markings in heavily traveledmetro areas. “On a road with several curves, or at-grade intersections, we might need to use a durablepaint marking because traffic could wear away thepaint more quickly than a straight road where trafficis seldom in contact with the pavement marking,”said Black. “We continue to experiment to makesure the placement fits the conditions.”

The durable paint marking committee consists ofrepresentatives from the Office of Maintenance, eachof the districts and ISU. They have a broad focus: toassist in choosing appropriate products; track productperformance; and refine specifications. “Our qualitycontrol is so much better than it was 10 years ago,”said Black. “Where our focus used to be getting thepaint to last for more than one season, it’s nowsafety-oriented in that the durability and reflectivityare both monitored.”

In years past it was a general rule that centerlines were painted every year and edge lines werepainted every other year. Because of the recommen-dations of the committee, the DOT now repaintslines when the reflectivity falls below the minimumthreshold, not simply because of scheduling.

Other test projects now in the works for thedurable paint committee include paint application ingrooves with a grooving machine expected to bepurchased this year; testing of wet reflective tapealone or in combination with durable, waterbornepaint; rumble stripes; a zero-velocity bead gun; andperformance-based bead specifications. Look tofuture editions of INSIDE for updates on ourdurable paint program.

Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint Durable paint from page 3

MAY 2006 PAGE 9

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month

Information taken from “Stay Alert…Stay Alive! Sharing the Road…Safety Tips for Motorists and Motorcyclists” produced by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Safety ManagementSystem, Iowa DOT, Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, AAA Minnesota/Iowa, Gold Wing Road Riders Association (Iowa District), and Iowa Department of Public Health.

Iowa motorcycle crash facts• Iowa motorcyclists are six times more likely to be injured than other motorists involved in crashes,

based on miles driven.• On average, more than 40 motorcyclists die from motorcycle crashes in Iowa each year.• Nine of 10 Iowa motorcycle fatality victims were riding without a safety helmet.• Fatalities are increasing among Iowa riders age 45 and older.• Only one of two fatal motorcycle crashes involves another vehicle. In single vehicle crashes, the

motorcyclist usually fails to control the motorcycle. When another vehicle is involved, two out of threemotorcycle-vehicle crashes are caused by a driver who does not see the oncoming motorcyclist.

• Iowa’s yearly motorcycle crashes are part of an alarming nationwide increase resulting in 3,200 deathsand 65,000 injuries in 2004.

• Speed is reported as a contributing factor in more than 50 percent of Iowa’s fatal motorcycle crashes.• Motorcycle operators in fatal crashes had higher intoxication rates than any other type of driver. More

than 33 percent of motorcycle operators in fatal crashes tested positive for alcohol or other drugs.• Six in 10 of Iowa’s licensed riders are age 45 or older, compared with only three in 10 just 10 years

ago.

Be courteous and respectfulWith all drivers and motorcyclists, being courteous, non-aggressive and cooperative can go a long

way in reducing crashes.

Motorist tipsLook for motorcycles

Modulating motorcycle headlamps are legaland help make motorcycles more visible. Watchout at intersections and when making left turns.Respect the motorcyclists

Motorcycles are vehicles with the sameprivileges as any vehicle on the roadway. Givethe motorcyclist a full lane of travel.Allow plenty of space

Traffic, wind, weather, and road conditionsaffect the motorcyclist differently. Leave morefollowing distance, allowing room for themotorcyclist to maneuver and enough time foryou to react.Signal your intentions

Always signal before changing lanes. Checkblind spots frequently. Always check beforechanging lanes.Sharpen your driving skills

Check your knowledge and habits. Take timeto read the Iowa Driver’s Manual each time yourenew your license. A driver refresher course canupgrade your skills and increase your drivingenjoyment.

Motorcyclist tipsMake yourself visible

Use a modulating headlamp. Choose ridinggear that increases your visibility in traffic andprovides protection in a crash. Use bright colorsand retroreflective strips or decals, especially atnight.Ride so you are seen

You and your motorcycle are easily hidden intraffic, in motorists’ blind spots or against a brightsky. Use proper lane positioning to be seen.Allow plenty of space

Allow space for motorists to see and react toyou. Scan for changing traffic and roadwayconditions. Allow space for emergency braking orcrash avoidance.Signal your intentions

Signal before changing lanes. Avoid weavingbetween lanes. Flash your brake light when youare slowing down and before stopping.Sharpen your riding skills

Know your abilities and ride within yourlimits. Earn and maintain your motorcyclelicense. A rider refresher course can upgrade yourskills and increase your riding enjoyment.

Trophy CaseRecent DOT Awards

PAGE 10 MAY 2006

Professional awards

DPS Commission’s awardsIn early April, Kevin Techau, Commissioner of

the Iowa Department of Public Safety, held anawards ceremony during which two DOTers wererecognized for outstanding service. Printed here arethe nominations for Tim Crouch and Joyce Emery.

Tim Crouch, state traffic engineer, Office ofTraffic and Safety

Tim Crouchdemonstratedthe importanceof trafficsafety andunitingtransportationofficials in onecommon goalthrough hisefforts toprovide theseatbeltbuckle-upmessage on the

DOT dynamic message signs during the seatbeltenforcement waves. His dedication to this issue“validated” seatbelt enforcement activities andprovided the public with the important message to“Buckle Up”. His knowledge and expertise regardingthe importance of buckling up gave credibility toplacing this message on the dynamic message signs.

Joyce Emery, Ph.D., safety program administra-tor, Office of Traffic and Safety

Joyce Emery has been a recognized state andnational leader in traffic records and highway safetydata issues for more than 20 years. Her employmentwith the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and theDOT has helped to improve data collections over theyears. In 1994 Joyce co-founded Iowa’s State TrafficRecords Advisory Committee, which became themodel for Iowa’s Safety Management System,

established in1995. Emeryhas previouslyserved aspresident ofthe IowaTrafficControl andSafetyAssociation.CurrentlyEmery hastaken on newnationalresponsibili-

ties, chairing the planning committee for the Asso-ciation of Transportation Safety Information Profes-sionals (ATSIP).

Iowa’s Living Roadways programreceives national recognition

An Iowa DOT-sponsored program, Iowa’sLiving Roadway Community Visioning Program, hasbeen awarded the “2006 Outstanding PlanningAward” for a project, program or tool that helps toteach officials and residents in small towns how tothink about design, develop plans, write grants,compete for federal transportation funds, and lookfor private donations. The award was given by theAmerican Planning Association. The Iowa’s LivingRoadway Program is a cooperative effort betweenthe DOT, Trees Forever and Iowa State University.

Personal achievements

DOT team victoriousin SEHARC tourney

A DOT team took home the gold at the 25thannual State Employee Health and RecreationCommittee (SEHARC) bowling tournament Feb. 4in Des Moines. Of the 49 teams, the DOT group ofLarry Stonehocker, Sean Passick and Troy Cook,all from Des Moines construction, and Tami Bailifffrom the I-235 Information Office, combined for awinning team score of 2,450. Mike Pagel scoredthird for individual bowlers in the tournament with a622 series. Individual three-game totals were: LarryStonehocker, 565; Sean Passick, 415; Tami Bailiff,320; and Mike Pagel, 622.

TTTTTrrrrrophy Case ophy Case ophy Case ophy Case ophy Case go to next page

DPS Commissioner Techau andTim Crouch

DPS Commissioner Techau andJoyce Emery

MAY 2006 PAGE 11

Sharp competes atstate Special Olympics

KellySharp, a mailclerk with theOffice of DriverServices, tiedfor fifth placein his divisionin the SpecialOlympicsstatewidecompetitionMarch 18 inCedar Rapids.Sharp competedin the individualbasketball skillschallenge thatmeasured

basketball dribbling, passing and shooting prowess.Friends from work and from home were on hand tocheer Sharp to the finish.

Sharp said, “I had my friends and especially RodRhiner from Motor Vehicle Enforcement there tosupport me. That’s all I needed. They cheered me onto a victory. It feels good to have friends that supportyou in anything that you set your mind to. I want tosend my thanks out for my great friends and support-ers of Special Olympics; Dot Trotter, my supervisor;Rod Rhiner, my friend and confidant; along withTerry Dillinger and Shirley Andre. If not for them,none of this would be possible.”

Sharp is now setting his sights on the NationalSpecial Olympics to be held in Ames this summer.He also wants to become one of the next GlobalMessengers for the organization. “My life haschanged immensely since I joined Special Olym-pics.” Sharp added, “When you bet on a winner,think of me.”

Novotny bowls first perfect gameJeff Novotny, an equipment operator at the

Marshalltown shop, bowled a perfect 300 gameMonday, Feb. 6, at Totem Bowl in Marshalltown.This was Novotny’s first perfect game. He finishedwith a 708 series and has a 182 average in leagueplay.

McCullough trainsfor Breast Cancer3-Day walk

Three days, 60 miles and a whole lot ofheart—that’s what goes into the SusanG. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. This year’s events will be held in 12cities in August, September and

October. Net proceeds benefit the Susan G. KomenBreast Cancer Foundation and National PhilanthropicTrust, funding important breast cancer research,education, screening, and treatment.

Susie McCullough ofthe Office of Transporta-tion Data is planning towalk in the Twin Citiesevent Aug. 18-20. “Peopleask me why I’m doingthis,” said McCullough. “Idon’t have anyone in myfamily that has beenaffected by breast cancer,but I’ll bet every one of usknows someone who’s lifehas been changed by thisdisease. I just want to

help. Here is a bit of information that I found almostfunny…if I follow the training schedule laid out forme, I will have walked 625 miles! That is like goingfrom Boone to Dayton, Ohio, or Boone to theNebraska/Wyoming border!”

McCullough is joining her daughter’s formerLittle League coaches, Julie and Ken Fogelsong, inthis walk. During the event the team will sleep in atent and share “roughin’ it” with several thousandother walkers. They’re calling their team “TheEradicators” with the mission of eradicating breastcancer. Each team member has a fund-raising goal of$2,200. As part of her fund-raising efforts,McCullough is collecting cans for recycling andhaving a garage sale May 20 at the Open BibleChurch in Boone. If you would like to donate itemsfor the sale, McCullough needs them by May 19. Shewill be collecting cans until Aug. 13. If you wouldlike more information, go to www.the3day.org/twincities06/susie, e-mail susieben9289@yahoo.comor call 515-230-1597 or 515-432-2285.

McCullough

TTTTTrrrrrophy Case ophy Case ophy Case ophy Case ophy Case from previous page

PAGE 12 MAY 2006

FamilyHappeningsOperations and FinanceJanet Kout-Samson

Three retirement parties foremployees with more than 100combined years of service wererecently held in the Office ofEmployee Services. Best wishes toour friends.

Team leader Val Anderson’slast day at work was March 17after 29 years of service. Afarewell coffee was held withmany friends and family membersin attendance.

•Bev Abels, OES director,

retired March 30 after 30 years ofservice. Since Bev and herhusband, Lynn, have recentlyreturned from a trip to Ireland,the office planned her retirementparty with an Irish flare.

Sharry Dickerson, personnelassistant, retired Jan. 26 with 41years of service. Her friendssurprised her with a limo ride onher last work day.

•

David May, public serviceexecutive 1 in Procurement andDistribution, and his wife, Anne,are the proud parents of Dennis I.May. Baby Dennis was born Feb.28 weighing 5 lbs. 15 ozs. andwas 19 inches long. Dennis has abig sister, Cecilia, who is 10.Congratulations to the Mayfamily!

DesignJudy Lensing

It’s a baby boom in roaddesign! Three new additions haverecently joined our “family.”

Paul Flattery, transportationengineer, and his wife, Michelle,welcomed a baby girl March 23.Baby Ashley Marie weighed 8 lbs.8 ozs. and was 20 inches long. Bigbrother Brady, 9, and big sister,Callie, 6, are very excited abouttheir little sister.

•

Kera Gieselman, transporta-tion engineer intern, and herhusband, Heath, formerly ofMaterials, are the proud parents of

Sharry (far left) and her friends

MAY 2006 PAGE 13

In MemorySteve A. Tindle, 60, of Grinnell, died at his home March 28.

Tindle had been with the DOT since 1984. His survivors includehis wife, Beth; his daughter, Sara (John) Thompson of Grinnell;two grandsons, Jesse and Shane Thompson; and his mother, RuthTindle of Grinnell. He was preceded in death by his father, HarveyTindle.

Daniel Brack, 54, of Oxford, died April 8. Brack had beenwith the DOT nearly 35 years.

Lyle Kropf, 75, of Odebolt and formerly of Kiron, diedMarch 16. Kropf worked as an equipment operator in the Denisongarage from 1971 to 1992.

Owen Harold. Baby Owen wasborn March 21 weighing 9 lbs. 12ozs. and was 21 inches long.Owen joins big brother Harrison,4, and big sister Lana, 2, at home.

•

Kurt Estrem, design techni-cian, and his wife, April, broughtAubrey Lynn into the world onMarch 28. Baby Aubrey was 7 lbs.1 oz. and 20 inches long.

Location andEnvironmentJean Jesse

Chin-Ta Tsai and his wife,DoDo, became United Statescitizens March 31 at a ceremonyin Des Moines. The office cel-ebrated with cake and ice creamApril 6. Congratulations toChin-Ta and DoDo on becomingcitizens. We’re very proud of youboth!

Thank youThanks to each of you for all the cards, visits and phone calls

while I was off work. Thank you also to the people who donatedtheir time to help me financially during my surgery and recovery.

Tim Even equipment operator, Waterloo garage

Bob Landreth, architectural technician in the Office of Facili-ties Support, and his wife, Kathy, would like to thank everyone fortheir support during Bob’s illness. Thank you to everyone whoparticipated in the fund-raiser or have called, written or contactedus with words of encouragement. Thank you all so much.

Bob and Kathy Landreth

The 2006 central complex food drive was a huge success with $10,139.97being raised and donated to 15 central Iowa food pantries. Each will receive acheck for $676. These providers also shared 1,416 food/non-food items.

Food Drive event sales resultsCinnamon/pecan rolls 232.50Cookies 313.00Books and popcorn 950.00Ice cream 128.75Cash donations 856.25

Special Events Sales (events held during other times of the year)Right-of-Way 801.47Design 1,057.00

Auction Results:Gift certificates 803.00Donated items 774.00Parking spaces 4,224.00

Total cash collected: $10,139.97Food collected: 1,416 items

Food Drive 2006 wrap-up

SSSSSERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICE A A A A AWARDSWARDSWARDSWARDSWARDS

PPPPPERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNEL U U U U UPDPDPDPDPDAAAAATESTESTESTESTESInformation supplied by the Office of Employee Services for Feb. 24 to April 6, 2006

Information supplied by the Office of Employee Services for May 2006

PAGE 14 MAY 2006

35 yearsRobert Conyers, Le Mars garage; Kevin Mahoney, HighwayDivision; James Stoner, Bridges and Structures

30 YearsLa Vern Velau, Transportation Data

25 YearsRichard Banowetz, DeWitt garage; Maynard Bochmann,Allison garage; Russell Frisch, Waterloo garage; DarwinHuls, Motor Vehicle Enforcement; Roger W. Larson, SystemsPlanning; Donald Meiers, Carroll garage; Joseph Ness Jr.,Leon garage; Russell Pettinger, Dyersville garage; LonnieWilson, Storm Lake – District 3 field staff

New HiresLinda Fevold, information technology specialist 4, InformationTechnology Division; Michael Hughes, informationtechnology specialist 4, Information Technology Division;Steven Osborn, equipment operator, De Soto garage; JenniferPingenot, management analyst 1, Document Services; ScottWeiler, information technology specialist 4, InformationTechnology Division

PromotionsShawn Buckingham, from motor vehicle officer to motorvehicle investigator, Motor Vehicle Enforcement; LindaDilocker, from motor vehicle officer to motor vehicleinvestigator, Motor Vehicle Enforcement; Theresa Kern, fromtypist advanced to secretary 1, Driver Services; BarryRobertson, from equipment operator, District 5 bridge crew, toequipment operator senior, District 5 paint crew

TransfersLarry Hargis, equipment operator senior, Grimes garage;Michael Willis, clerk specialist, Driver Services

RetirementsBeverly Abels, public service executive 4, Employee Services;Valerie Anderson, executive officer 2, Employee Services;Terry Dilocker, motor vehicle officer, Motor VehicleEnforcement; Kent Hagen, public service supervisor 3, Trafficand Safety; Kenneth Toomsen, program planner 3, Locationand Environment; Donald Whisler, equipment operator senior,Bloomfield garage

20 YearsKelli Arnburg, Mason City materials; Dixie Makedonski, DesMoines construction; Virgene Ohl, Council Bluffs construction

15 YearsJames Andresen, District 1; Calvin Enfield, Motor VehicleEnforcement; Steve Jones, Council Bluffs construction;Raymond Meyer, Waterloo garage; Deborah Muell, CouncilBluffs DL station; Douglas Williams, Storm Lake garage

10 YearsRicky Fiedler, District 5 Office; Cole Kern, Marshalltownconstruction; Michal Lindner, District 2 Office; FredMazzella, Location and Environment; Cheryl Schell, RepairShop

5 YearsNeal Tieck, Materials; Jeremey Vortherms, Traffic andSafety; Becky Riesenberg, Motor Vehicle Enforcement

James StonerJames StonerJames StonerJames StonerJames StonerBridges and Structures

Robert ConyersRobert ConyersRobert ConyersRobert ConyersRobert ConyersLe Mars garage

Kevin MahoneyKevin MahoneyKevin MahoneyKevin MahoneyKevin MahoneyHighway Division

Let's talk trash!

Service Area Correspondent Phone

District 1 ..................................................... Kay Ridgway, Des Moines ..................... 515-986-5729District 2 ..................................................... Lu Mohorne, Mason City ....................... 641-423-7584District 3 ..................................................... Mary Beth Banta, Sioux City ................. 712-276-1451District 4 ..................................................... Marlene Jensen, Atlantic ........................ 712-243-3355District 5 ..................................................... Brenda Hadley, Fairfield ........................ 641-472-6142District 6 ..................................................... Jeanne Heeren, Cedar Rapids ................ 319-364-0235Bridges and Structures ............................... Judy Whitney, Ames .............................. 515-239-1564Construction ............................................... Nancy McMenamin, Ames ..................... 515-239-1043Contracts ..................................................... Peg Muxfeldt, Ames ................................ 515-239-1422Design ......................................................... Judy Lensing, Ames ................................ 515-239-1469Driver Services ......................................... Noralee Warrick, Des Moines ......... 515-237-3153General Counsel ....................................... Sheri Anderson, Ames ....................... 515-239-1509Information Technology Division ........ Colette Simpson, Ames ...................... 515-233-7728Local Systems ........................................... Kathy LaRue, Ames ........................... 515-239-1081Location and Environment ..................... Jean Jesse, Ames ................................ 515-239-1225Maintenance .............................................. Cindy Shipley, Ames ......................... 515-239-1824Materials .................................................... Dawne Berner, Ames .......................... 515-239-1919Modal andPlanning & Programming Divisions .......... Mary Kay Reimers, Ames ...................... 515-239-1661Motor Carrier Services ............................... Diann McMillen, Des Moines ................ 515-237-3250Motor Vehicle Enforcement ...................... Val Hunter, Des Moines ......................... 515-237-3218Operations and Finance Division ............... Janet Kout-Samson, Ames ..................... 515-239-1340Research and Technology Bureau ............. Phyllis Geer, Ames .................................. 515-239-1646Right-of-Way .............................................. Linda Kriegel, Ames ............................... 515-239-1135Traffic and Safety ....................................... Linda McBride, Ames ............................ 515-239-1557Vehicle Services ......................................... Thelma Huffman, Des Moines ............... 515-237-3182

INSIDE is developed to help keep all Iowa DOT employees informed aboutcritical issues affecting them, recognize DOT employees for their excellentservice, and share interesting aspects in the lives of our coworkers. For moreinformation, contact Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services,515-239-1314 or e-mail tracey.bramble@dot.iowa.gov.

Nancy Richardson, Iowa DOT Director

Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services, EditorLynn Purcell, Office of Media and Marketing Services, Desktop Publisher

J. Cory Heintz, Office of Media and Marketing Services, PhotographerPrinting Staff, Office of Document Services, Printing

800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010 • 515-239-1372.

On the cover:On the cover:On the cover:On the cover:On the cover: Moving the Hale Bridge - Photo courtesy ofthe Iowa Army National Guard

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS ISSUE

MAY 2006 PAGE 15

McFarland Clinic locations in Iowa are no longerparticipating as an AOSafety provider of safetyglasses at discounted prices. Employees needingprescription safety glasses may select another visioncenter from the list provided on DOTNET to receivediscounts, or they may use any other vision center oftheir choice and pay full price. Purchasing instruc-tions for safety glasses may be found on DOTNETby clicking on the EMPLOYEE RESOURCES andINFORMATION dropdown and then clicking onSafety Glasses. Questions? Call Barbara Mallon at515-239-1594 or barbara.mallon@dot.iowa.gov.

As a reminder, the following itemsCAN NOT be placed in the bluerecycle bins: copy paper wrappers* ; cardboard; paper towels and tissues; newspapers; carbon paper; food wrappers (cups,

lunch bags, wax paper, etc.); food items; metal objects; and film/photographs.

If any of these items are found in arecycle bin, the entire bin must betreated as nonrecyclable and issent out with the other trash.

*Copy paper wrappers are made to keep moisture out ofthe paper. These do not break down in the recyclingprocess.

Purchase optionsfor safety glasses

PAGE 16 MAY 2006

pproximately 12 miles as the crow flies (orin this case, “as the bridge flies”) was the

distance a three-span, wrought-iron bridgetraveled on March 8. The Hale Bridge,

which had spanned the WapsipiniconRiver since 1879, was on its way to a

spot in Wapsipinicon State Park, where it is hopedthe structure will serve Iowans for another 100 yearsor more as a pedestrian facility.

Behind the bridge move was a grassroots effortby local preservationists to support a new bridgeover the Wapsipinicon River near Hale, whilefinding a new home for the historic structure. Thefloods of 1993 and subsequent rains damaged thebridge to the point that it was closed to traffic in1997. At the time of its nomination to the NationalRegister of Historic Places in 1998, it was thelongest-standing bowstring arch bridge in the state.In 2001 federal and state grant money totaling$445,000, including $159,000 from the DOT’s

Historic Hale Bridge takes flight

Transportation Enhancement funds, enabled aplanning group of officials from the DOT, FederalHighway Administration, State Historical Society ofIowa, Jones County and the local area to developlong-range goals for the structure.

In 2003, after a great deal of planning, the threewrought iron spans were carefully dismantled andmoved to a storage location near their original post.Finally, following nearly three years of restorationwork, the spans were ready to be placed inWapsipinicon State Park to be used as a pedestrianwalkway over the river as part of a three-milerecreational trail through the park.

Rose Rohr, chairperson of the Jones CountyHistoric Preservation Commission, said the bridgenot only changed the way people lived more than 100years ago, it also changed the way people livingtoday think about historic preservation. “This bridgeis important because it tells about Jones County andthe culture of the way this community lived. For thatreason, we’re taking something old and rehabilitatingit and reusing it, and we’re showing people you don’thave to discard old structures. Because of that, we’reopening a lot of eyes about how historic preservationcan help boost the economy. This bridge will beenjoyed by people for years to come, for residentsand tourists, too. If this bridge could last 126 years,you know it’s a solid structure.”

To move the spans to the park, an Army NationalGuard Chinook helicopter lifted the spans. One of thetrusses weighed 19,600 pounds, just 400 pounds lessthan the helicopter’s lifting capacity. Two Chinooksalternated the lifting duties and one Blackhawkhelicopter assisted in the mission. The Army NationalGuard donated time and equipment to the project as atraining exercise.

The move drew the attention of national media,such as producers from the History Channel’s “MegaMovers,” which follows the relocation of historicprojects from the movers’ point of view. The moveitself will be interwoven with historical facts aboutthe area and the object being moved. The program isexpected to be aired on the History Channel thisspring.

New piers were in place at the park site and, oncethe trusses were moved, a construction crew workedto place a deck on the structure. Jones Countyofficials expect the bridge to be open for foot trafficthis summer.

An Iowa Army National Guardsman rigs a liftcable to one section of the Hale Bridge

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