Innovation allows highway workers to safely
remove debris without ever leaving their truck
Efforts are underway across the state to make working conditions safer for highway maintenance workers with the implementation of a new tool to remove debris that was invented by workers in MoDOT's Kansas City District and KC Scout.
The machine -- called JAWS -- is mounted on a truck and includes an automated drop down skid-plate that can 'scoop' debris off the roadway, moving it onto the shoulder where it no longer impedes traffic and can be picked up in a safer manner.
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An emergency response operator deploys JAWS, which last month won an achievement award from the Institute of Traffic Engineers.
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The operator controls JAWS from inside the vehicle, using hand controls and a mounted camera display to quickly and efficiently move debris out of driving lanes and keep traffic flowing - all from the safety of the truck cab. This equipment allows crews to clear the roadway safer and is cost-effective because fewer trucks and personnel are needed.
"Innovation is at the core of our culture and this piece of equipment is just one example," said MoDOT
Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger. "Our employees are challenged to take their ideas and put them into practice so we can continually get better. They found a safer and better way to get the job done."
MoDOT plans to add at least 27 additional JAWS devices across the state. The department is in the process of having the additional units manufactured.
The idea is a product of the KC Scout Traffic Incident team, but it was the support and hard work of the Fleet Team at the Missouri Department of Transportation that brought it to reality. The name JAWS -- Julie's Automated Waste-Removal System -- is in memory of MoDOT employee Julie Love who was struck and killed retrieving debris from the roadway in 2004.
In August, JAWS was honored by the Institute of Traffic Engineers Transportation with an Achievement Award-Safety. It also won several awards at MoDOT's statewide Innovations Challenge last spring, including the Dickson People's Choice Award.
KC Scout Incident Management Coordinator Marcus Slaughter explains the concept and inspiration for JAWS in this video on You Tube:
https://youtu.be/TLt5c4JDL6k.
There's still time to vote! After four regional competitions, this year's top 12 transportation projects have made it to the final phase of the 11th annual America's Transportation Awards competition for the chance to earn $10,000 for a scholarship or non-profit in their home states. The Southwest District's Route 65: THE REBUILD is among those top 12 competing projects. The project won in the regional round in the Quality of Life/Community Development, Small category.
