Kansas City assists with successful home opener | |
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On March 16, Kansas City District staff assisted with the historic Kansas City Current home opener at CPKC Stadium in Berkley Riverfront Park. CPKC Stadium is the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a professional women’s sports team.
Leading up to game day, several members of the Kansas City District “kicked” in to help make the opening of CPKC Stadium a win for Kansas City. The stadium is adjacent to the southbound off ramp of Interstate 35, and the entrance to the stadium is less than half a mile from on and off ramps of I-35 near the Christopher "Kit" S. Bond Bridge.
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District Traffic Engineer Ericka Ross, Area Engineer for Jackson and Cass counties Jill Bruss, and Intermediate Traffic Studies Specialist Christopher Harmon monitored traffic patterns at and near the stadium before, during and after the game. MoDOT's Kansas City team collaborated with the Kansas City Police Department and KC Scout to make real-time adjustments to signage and traffic flow around the stadium.
With several events taking place around the city on the same day, fans were encouraged to consider alternative methods of transportation. Kansas City Current shared that of the fans they surveyed, 11% walked or biked to the stadium.
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Left to right: Intermediate Traffic Studies Specialist Christopher Harmon, Area Engineer for Jackson and Cass counties Jill Bruss and District Traffic Engineer Ericka Ross. | |
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“The win for alternative transportation was huge - the number of walkers, bikers and shuttle goers was amazing, and from our traffic operations area we could see a constant steam of pedestrians utilizing the riverfront trail,” said Area Engineer Jill Bruss. “The best part of the day was the incredible teamwork between MoDOT's Kansas City District, KCMO, KCPD, Port KC and Kansas City Current counterparts to help accomplish a goal.”
The Kansas City District will also assist at the upcoming Kansas City Current home game on March 30 at CPKC Stadium when they host Angel City FC.
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CPKC Stadium during game day with a view of the Christopher "Kit" S. Bond Bridge. | |
New eAgreements system update
Now includes 18 years of archives
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Previous agreements from 2006-2016 are now accessible in the new eAgreements system. Previously, this data was only accessible through the Commission Secretary’s Office archive files. There are now 18,000 agreements from 2006-2016 and 16,000 agreements from 2017-present accessible in the new system.
These previous documents include: agreements for maintenance, municipal, grants, signing, bridge, bi-state, cost share, utilities, leases, quit claim deeds, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), roadside flashers for school crossings, consultant contracts, break in access, Transportation Development Districts (TDD) and much more.
To access these new archives, utilize the search feature in eAgreements.
Agreements prior to 2006 are available via paper archives housed either with the Commission Secretary’s Office or in various division and district offices.
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PDI open for enrollment beginning April 1 | |
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The Professional Development Institute will be open for enrollment April 1-30. PDI is a voluntary, self-pace development program designed to help professional-level employees be well-rounded and have a greater organizational awareness.
There are currently 48 participants enrolled in PDI. The goal of the program is to enhance professional-level employees’ business, interpersonal and professional skills. Interested employees can enroll (with their supervisor’s approval) during this four-week enrollment period.
For more information about the program, visit the PDI SharePoint page.
Questions? Email Tyler.Kirchner@modot.mo.gov.
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Kidney and bladder health | |
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The kidneys and bladder are the cleaning crew that keep bodies healthy - kidneys filter all the blood in the body every 30 minutes, removing waste and extra fluid, which is then stored in and passed by the bladder as urine. If problems develop, they can cause discomfort and lead to more serious issues.
Common Disorders
- Urinary tract infections are the second most common infection according to the Urology Care Foundation. They affect women and people with diabetes most, but anyone can get them.
- Bladder-control problems are common and can range from a small leak when coughing or laughing to not being able to hold in urine and reach a toilet in time.
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Kidney stones are pebble-like crystals formed from minerals and salt in the urine that cause more than 1/2 million people go to the emergency room each year according to The National Kidney Foundation.
- Chronic kidney disease causes the kidneys not to filter blood, leaving too much fluid and waste in the body.
Risk Factors
Talk with your healthcare provider if you have: a family history of kidney or bladder disorders, high blood pressure, a history of kidney stones, obesity or type 1 or 2 diabetes.
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Stay Healthy
Having a kidney or bladder infection can be painful, and chronic kidney disease raises the chances of having heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Help prevent issues with these habits:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Have regular checkups.
- Keep your blood pressure in check.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol.
- Practice good hygiene.
- Stay active.
- Stop smoking.
- Avoid too much salt or sugar.
Symptoms
If you have any of the below symptoms, talk to your doctor, live chat with someone through the Sydney Health mobile app or call the 24/7 NurseLine at the number on your health plan ID card.
- Persistent or worsening pain in your lower back, belly or sides.
- Blood in urine.
- Frequent urge to urinate.
- Pain or burning feeling while urinating.
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine.
Find an in-network doctor or healthcare provider using the Find Care and Cost feature on the Sydney Health app or at anthem.com/find-care. If your symptoms are accompanied by fever, chills or vomiting, visit an urgent care center. For true medical emergencies, call 911 or go to the ER right away.
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Road to Rocheport: March 2024 update | |
The March 2024 Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge update contains what happened in February into mid-March at the project site. In this edition, Project Director Mike Schupp provides insight on the difference between steel and concrete girders and talks about water levels on the river. | |
JAG schools welcome Southeast District | |
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Jobs for America’s Graduates programs are hosting events throughout the Southeast District, and MoDOT employees are taking the opportunity to visit with students. JAG-Missouri helps students reach their full potential by graduating from high school and being successful at whatever careers they choose. JAG-Missouri offers in-school programs for middle schools, high schools and alternative schools.
North County High School in Farmington recently hosted a four-school JAG-Missouri event featuring multiple career opportunities with MoDOT. Southeast District staff presented to six breakout groups, covering career paths from maintenance, construction, engineering and administration. District personnel discussed their career history and how they came to work at MoDOT. MoDOT staff also offered the students the opportunity to ask questions about each aspect of work. The final event for the day included a bridge-building competition.
|  | Jobs for America’s Graduates students discuss bridge construction during the bridge-building competition at North County High School. Click the image above to view more photos. | This spring, the Southeast District will speak with nearly 500 students from 14 area high schools. The Southeast District currently employees five former JAG students. While those employees did not participate in MoDOT presentations as students, the district hopes to educate today’s students about careers with the department. | |
Northwest District holds open house | |
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On March 12, members of the public were invited to an open house at the Northwest District Office to learn about an upcoming project just outside St. Joseph.
The project is an intersection improvement project on U.S. Route 169 and Southeast Riverside Terrace. The intersection was identified as a safety-improvement project due to its sight distance. The proposed project will shift Route 169 slightly north from Summerhill Drive to just east of Southeast Riverside Terrace and realign the north and south entrances of Southeast Riverside Terrace.
A neighborhood near the intersection will be impacted during construction. Many of its residents were present at the meeting and were able to get their questions answered by the project leaders.
To learn more about the project, visit the project webpage.
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Area Engineer Jose Rodriquez conducts an interview with a local news station regarding the intersection improvement project. | |
Transportation Project Manager Tim Miner and Design Engineer Shannon Kusilek answer questions about the intersection improvement project for stakeholders in attendance. | |
Jametta Smith
St. Louis District Assistant Maintenance Supervisor
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What started off as a MoDOT maintenance worker job has now made one St. Louis employee a family pillar. Recently promoted to assistant maintenance supervisor, Jametta Smith shares her nine-and-a-half-year journey in a male-dominated work field.
Smith started her career with the department in 2015 after she attended a career fair at a church in Ferguson. At the time, she was a bus driver but wanted to do something different.
“I would always see the MoDOT trucks on the highways and think that it would be exciting to drive them and clear the roads of snow in the winter,” said Smith.
For her first year with MoDOT, Smith worked as a maintenance worker in the Signing & Striping unit. Afterward, Smith moved to the Normandy Maintenance facility where she successfully completed the maintenance worker series. In both work locations, Smith would either be the only female or work in a building with one or maybe two other females. Currently in the St. Louis District Maintenance Division, less than 1% of employees are female.
“There were times when I knew I was working in situations that others may have thought might be too much for a female to complete without assistance. It was those times that invigorated me to show how well I could do my job,” said Smith.
|  | Assistant Maintenance Supervisor Jametta Smith (top) with her Normandy Maintenance team. | |
After more than eight years working as a maintenance worker, her work ethic landed her a promotion to crew leader. Seven months later, she was promoted to assistant maintenance supervisor.
“There is no doubt that Jametta was the perfect person for the Normandy assistant maintenance supervisor position," said Normandy Maintenance Supervisor A.J. Jackson. "On every occasion, she steps up to the plate and gets the job done and always makes sure she is safe while she does it.”
Work and life balance are important to Smith, as she is raising three sons and one daughter. She says her family motivates and calls her daily. She refers to her mom as her biggest cheerleader of all, who recently passed away in July 2022.
“My family is the reason that I keep pushing and trying to get better every day that I go to work," said Smith. "I had to prove a lot to get to where I am today and it feels wonderful, but what feels even better is knowing that I am leaving my children a legacy.”
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Northwest District
Curtis Pegelow 27
Ronald Anderson 21
Northeast District
Christopher Switzer 27
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Kansas City District
Scott Brelsford 25
Central District
Bradley Hendrix 19
Donald Weber 22
James Duncan 30
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Southeast District
Christian Rutledge 29
Jeffrey Amelunke 31
Raymond Pruett 24
Wayne Sumlin 5
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The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news
and feature articles that connect employees statewide.
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Comments
What would you like to see in Connections?
We want to hear from you!
Send comments and suggestions to:
bethany.belt@modot.mo.gov
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MoDOT Communications
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102
573-751-2840 | www.modot.org
Editor: Sr. Communications Specialist Bethany Belt
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