June 23, 2022

MoDOT brings home two Governor's awards

On June 15, Gov. Parson, Lt. Gov. Kehoe and the Office of Administration recognized two MoDOT teams with a 2021 Governor's Award for Quality and Productivity at a ceremony held in Jefferson City. This award acknowledges accomplishments which serve as an example for continuous productivity, quality, efficiency and improvement in the State of Missouri. Congratulations to the teams detailed below!

Customer Service Category: MoDOT I-270 North Real-Time Mapping

Team members: Jennifer Becker, Austin Kramer, Sheron Thomas, Tom Blair, Tabitha Locke, Justin Wolfe, Ploisongsaeng Intaratip, Schuyler Noeth, Eric Kopinski and Nina Thompson.

The primary goal of this team was to fully update maps in two months. By partnering with companies directly to update GPS, they were able to make these quick updates - which before took up to six months. With quicker external and internal mapping, MoDOT is able to provide a better product for travelers and commercial drivers. From July to December of 2020, the average number of crashes per day dropped from 3.15 to 3.03 - a 2.8% improvement.

Pictured are members MoDOT's winning teams who were able to attend the June 15 ceremony along with various members of MoDOT leadership.

Innovation Category: Displaced Left-turn Interchange

Team members: Justin Adams, Shelie Daniel, John Findlay, Ryan Hale, Jeff Hardy, Alejandro Martinez, Wes Minder, Andy Noll, Derek Olson, Doug Parke, Ericka Ross, Joshua Scott, Mike Wahlstedt and Juan Yin.

The goal of this team was to replace the MO-152 bridge over I-35 and to widen the corridor to create a better traffic flow. The team drafted the displaced left-turn interchange - the first of its kind in the world. As a result of this interchange, the community will save over $1.8 million per year in congestion costs. Pedestrian accommodations were also added, making it easier than ever before for pedestrians to use the bridge and cross the street with added safety.

THINGS TO KNOW

Stand Up for Safety Day is July 21

Stand Up for Safety Day is an annual event providing an opportunity for employees to take a break from their day-to-day jobs to participate in toolbox talks on important topics, perform equipment and facility inspections, discuss job-specific hazards and create awareness of the importance of workplace safety.

Stand Up for Safety Day was previously held in October, but moving it to July will provide maximum participation by employees without being overshadowed by other October events.

Though scheduled on July 21, there will be a targeted completion period of 14 days to allow crews to continue their essential functions should emergencies arise. The training is required for all employees and further information will be provided on how to register the training in MoDOTU.

Some of this year’s topics will include: an introduction to the new lifting program, ladder safety, safety expectations/pledge, PPE inspection and priority response.

Donations needed for ShareLeave program

“As a single parent with an autoimmune disease, I never had a sizeable sick leave balance. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2018, I assumed I’d have about two weeks to recover from my first surgery then have to use FMLA for whatever came next. The assistance I received from the ShareLeave program covered two major surgery recovery periods and all the associated follow-up doctor visits and tests. The mental and financial support this program provided was invaluable to my post-diagnosis well-being and recovery. At a time I needed it most, the donations from co-workers and benefit protection from my employer brought great comfort and allowed me to focus on healing. The donation of your leave time is a truly meaningful charitable act. I’m so thankful for the generosity of the ‘MoDOT side’ of my family!”

~ Anonymous

MoDOT’s ShareLeave program allows employees to help co-workers who have suffered a catastrophic or life-threatening illness or injury (personal or immediate family) and exhausted all their leave time, such as in the employee testimonial above.

ShareLeave hours are received as donations of annual leave or comp time as well as excess hours swept from balances during the leave sweep that normally occurs each October. MoDOT hasn’t had a leave sweep for the past three years. The ShareLeave balance is critically low!

Please consider donating a few hours to the program to help your co-workers during life’s unexpected events: ShareLeave donation form. Thank you to those who have donated!

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Keep up with your dental checkups

Regular dentist visits help keep you healthy and avoid emergencies

Taking care of your teeth is about more than your oral health - it’s an important part of your overall well-being that is often overlooked. Turning to your dentist for routine care - and when you need help right away - is a smarter way to stay healthy, and it can save you money, too.

Why you should see a dentist regularly

Even if you’re not having problems with your teeth, it’s important to make time for regular dental care. You should see your dentist for preventive care at least twice a year.

These visits can help:

Catch oral problems early. Your dentist can spot issues like gum disease or cavities early and before they become difficult and more costly to treat.
Catch other problems before your primary care doctor. Many non-oral chronic diseases or illnesses like diabetes, cancer or heart disease may first show symptoms in the mouth, head or neck. When you routinely see your dentist, they can spot changes in your mouth which may be linked to your overall health. When you catch problems early, they may be easier and less costly to treat.
Improve your whole-body health. Infections and conditions in your mouth like cavities, severe gum disease and tooth loss can affect your overall health and quality of life. Seeing a dentist regularly can help.

Visit mouthhealthy.org to learn more about why regular dental care is important.

Ready. Set. Girder.

Crews in the Kansas City District have started setting girders for the new Buck O'Neil Bridge.

Click the thumbnail above to view a short video update of the Buck O'Neil Bridge project.

The John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Memorial Bridge (formerly the Broadway Bridge) is a triple arch bridge carrying U.S. Highway 169 over the Missouri River and serves as a key regional connection between downtown Kansas City and communities north of the river.

While safe, the bridge, which opened in 1956, is nearing the end of its projected lifespan. MoDOT partnered with Kansas City on the $220 million project, which has an anticipated completion date of 2024.

To stay up to date, visit the project webpage.

$43 million Design-Build project underway

Work is underway on a $43.2 million Design-Build project in the Southwest District that will replace or rehabilitate 25 bridges within 15 miles of I-44.

The project, known as the I-44 Corridor Bridge Bundle, will impact bridges in Jasper, Lawrence, Greene, Webster and Dallas counties. Nine bridges will be rehabilitated and 16 will be replaced. Of those bridges, seven are on I-44, five cross the interstate and 13 are on other state routes within 15 miles of the interstate across the width of the district.

Contractor crews prepare the Missouri Route 174 bridge over I-44 in Lawrence County for demolition.

Some of the innovative approaches used on this project include keeping two lanes of traffic open in each direction during bridge closures at five of the seven I-44 construction sites to lessen impacts to interstate traffic, using smart work zone technology to monitor traffic flow through the work zones and using i-Cone technology to give drivers real-time information about traffic impacts via the Waze navigation app.

Many of these bridges were built in the 1960s and designed with a 50-year service life. Ten are categorized as being in poor condition, and nine more are on the verge of being classified as poor.

All work on this project in 2022 will be done on bridges in Lawrence County, where crews will replace five bridges and rehabilitate four others.

Crews are removing the driving surface and beams of the Missouri Route 174 bridge over I-44 in Lawrence County, leaving behind the piers and foundation to be reused in the new bridge.

The prime contractor on this project is The ESS Team, made up of Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. of Columbia and Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., from St. Louis. The ESS Team is a partnership of engineering and construction firms that will design and build the project with oversight by MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

The contracted completion date is Sept. 30, 2024.

For more information, visit the project webpage.

Southeast District advertises public outreach

From Ava in Douglas County to Jackson in Cape Girardeau County, the Southeast District is sharing plans for future improvements across the 25-county region. Several upcoming projects with public involvement opportunities are included below.

Route 21/72 in Iron County: This safety improvement project includes an overlay, adding edgeline rumble stripes, widening four horizontal curves and making improvements to the horizontal curve at Royal Gorge. Improvements will extend from Route E near Arcadia, Missouri to Route 49 near Glover, Missouri. The project team recently made an online community briefing available to discuss the project, specifically the curve at Royal Gorge. Learn more.

Route 61 in Jackson: The project team will host a public meeting on June 28 to discuss improvements to Route 61 in Jackson, Missouri. The project includes replacing the Route 61 bridge over Hubble Creek, adding turn lanes at Mary Street and pavement improvements on Route 61 from north of the existing roundabout to Route D. Learn more.

New roundabout in Ava: Planning is currently underway for a new roundabout at Route 14, Business Route 5, N. Jefferson Street and Bacorn Avenue. This project will also include drainage and pedestrian improvements. A public meeting will be held July 13 at Ava City Hall to discuss the project. Learn more.

An aerial diagram of the new roundabout planned in Ava.

The Southeast District also met with the public on June 23 to provide an update on the Chester Bridge Design-Build project. More public meetings are being scheduled in the coming months for projects such as Exit 93 in Cape Girardeau and Route 67/Future I-57 in Butler County.

To stay up to date on all Southeast District projects, visit the district's project webpage.