Mike Debrot says so long after 25 Years (Photo Gallery)

Senior Traffic and Lighting Technician Mike Bebrot said goodbye to long-time coworkers and friends after 25 years at MoDOT.

A "see you soon" party was held for Mike Thursday, June 28 at the traffic shop off of I-70 near the Truman Sports Complex.

Mike isn't completely retiring. He's going to take some time off, then return as a 1000 hour employee.

We wish Mike all the best in his semi-retirement. 

Bring Your Child to Work Day Saw Some Unexpected Excitement

Thanks to mother nature and a bit of severe weather, the Bring Your Child to Work Day saw some extra excitement.  

After all of the fun events, including the picnic and kickball games had ended, storm clouds, damaging winds and a possible tornado roared through the Lee's Summit area.

That forced everyone at the District Office, including our young guests to file into room 136, which is a designated safe area.

Several people huddled around the large TV screens to watch the forecast as the storm churned its way in the area. 



While everyone stayed safely inside the building, the surrounding campus of the district office was getting pounded by strong winds.

Those winds brought down trees, a tent used for the festivities and poor ole Barrel Bob.

Thankfully, Missouri State Highway Trooper Collin Stosberg was able to get him back on his feet (platform). 

There's significant damage to the area where the tent once stood, but thankfully no one was injured.

Awesome Time at Bring Your Child to Work Day

Bring Your Child to Work Day was held Tuesday, June 26, 2018 during the MoDOT’s annual employee appreciation week. Take a look at the photos here.

The event catered to 82 children for five fun filled hours of games, food, and creativity. The kids were divided into five groups of color and chaperoned by one MoDOT employee. Each group followed a specific schedule that allowed them to visit each station and learn about MoDOT’s different departments. There were a total of six sessions that consisted of department specific games and activities.

·         Construction & Materials: Learned what goes into roads, made slime, built an edible road and more.

·         Design: Learned about bridges and built a bridge with toothpicks and marshmallows.

·         Communication: Learned how the department communicates with the public about work zone safety and colored and decorated a Barrel Bob.

·         Safety/Traffic: Learned how MoDOT keeps employees safe, played a safety game, learned how road traffic is managed and made edible light.

·          Scout: Learned how the Traffic Management Center keeps people safe on the roads, how they inform drivers about what’s going on, and created a safety message.

·         Maintenance: Checked out safety trucks and made ice cream using salt that melts snow.

·         General Services: Toured General Service’s area and observed the electric board.

Following the breakout sessions, there was a district wide picnic lunch where BackYard Burger catered hamburgers and hotdogs while MoDOT’s very own George Duncan, KC District Maintenance Supervisor turned the 1’s and 2’s and entertained everyone as the guest DJ.

This year’s Bring Your Child to Work Day was one for the books, and MoDOT will continue to make each year better than the year before.

Bring Your Child to Work Day - Message Board Contest

As part of the Annual Take Your Child to Work Day, the folks in KC Scout host a very fun and creative contest. 

They ask all of their pint-sized guests to come up with catchy and memorable slogans that KC Scout may be able to place on the digital message boards on the highway. 

Needless to say, there were some that were not only creative, but smart and useful.  

A big shout out also goes to the folks in KC Scout. 

They put a lot of effort in helping the kids learn about highway safety.  

Thanks to Doneisha Wigfall, Mohammad Shehada and Nancy Powell. 

Below is a list of all of the winners. Congratulations to everyone who participated.

Silver Group:

•        Drew Bromley  (11)  - “Put Your Phone Down”
•        Imani Black (11) -“Phone Down Slow Down Buckle Up”

Yellow Group:

•        Caiden Goodwin (9) – “Drive Safe Dinner is Waiting”
•        Nicholas Clark (12) – “Don’t’ Text and Drive Your Kids Are Watching”

Blue Group:

•        Aryana Edwards (7) – “Pay Attention To The Road Not Your Phone”
•        Clara Latta (6) – “Move Over Don’t Hit My Daddy”

Green Group:

•        Briella Grimes (7) – “Slow Down Heaven Is Full”
•        Zy’Avion Morton (10) – “Don’t Text And Drive Or You Will Die”

Red Group:

•        Grace Doyle (12) – “Don’t Go Into The Light Buckle Up”
•        Haley Ward (12) – “You’re Not Lightning McQueen So Slow Down”

Marty Lambertson Bids Farewell to MoDOT (Photo Gallery)

After 12 years, Maintenance Crew Leader Marty Lambertson has hung up his striping hat. Teammates and friends said goodbye to Marty Friday, June 22 at the Lee's Summit Maintenance Building. Marty will be greatly missed. 

Safety Shout: Chip Seal Safety Reminders

Chip & seals, or sealcoats, are essential to making old road surfaces safe and extending their useful lives. They are also large and potentially dangerous projects. So, in the interest of extending your own useful life, here are some chip & seal operation safety tips.

• Review the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the asphalt product(s) and have MSDS on site. Check flash point, combustibility, flammability and spill containment procedures. Do not mix different types of liquid asphalt. Emulsions and cutbacks do not mix well.
• A “coffee can” test is an easy method to ensure liquid asphalts are compatible before mixing them. It’s much easier to throw the can away than to clean a distributor or tank. As a note, real coffee can types should be used. Use of fluffy, preppie or wimpy coffee cans, or anything decaf, may result in a whiny crew (more than usual) causing an inferior sealcoat project.
• Proper PPE shall be worn for all work of any kind, as required by the MSDS and MoDOT policy.
• Before starting the main operation, lay a test strip to establish a roller pattern. Use this time to reinforce safety practices like inspecting equipment for malfunctions, work zone speed, and work zone signage.
• Traffic control is a safety concern that cannot be overlooked. The Traffic Control Coordinator shall have completed Advanced Work Zone (AWZ) and be designated as a “Work Zone Specialist.” Check the most current EPG, MUTCD and TAs, and do it right!
• All brooms must have safety shields and guards in place, for employee safety and to reduce damage claims. No one should have to work or drive stoned.
• Pilot vehicles should drive 25 MPH or less through the work zone to ensure safety and avoid windshield damage from flying aggregate. This also reduces flying four letter words.
• Watch for overhead lines and low obstructions when it becomes necessary to raise the bed. Don’t drive with the bed up unless actually needed for the immediate task. Mark overhead lines and low obstructions with cones, cone sleeves, trim-line channelizers, or similar warning devices.
• Keep the loader bucket as low as possible when transporting loads, especially on grades. Do not leave a loader unattended with the engine running while waiting on trucks.
• When operating a chip spreader, get in the habit of mounting and dismounting from the ditch or shoulder side (not the traffic side).
• Stay in the dumptruck while being loaded. Don’t get a truck (or any piece of equipment) too close to the edge, especially if the road has no shoulder.

If you would like more information on this or any safety topic, contact district Risk Management staff.

MoDOT, Destination Safe Earn Gold for Safe Driving Campaign

Each year, MoDOT Kansas City participates in the Destination Safe Coalition through the Mid-America Regional council, a group with the mission to "reduce transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries for 13 counties in the Greater Kansas City region." 

As part of their efforts, they create and implement a broad social media plan with the goal of increasing seat belt usage, ending drinking and driving and encouraging every motorists to put their phone down. 

This past year, the team focused heavily on Jackson county, one of the few areas of the state that continues to see increases in fatalities. Through Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Youtube, the team followed key events in the city that would generate audiences of drivers who needed a positive message. 


Every event from baseball games, football home games, Thanksgiving, New Years, March Madness, Lady Gaga concerts, prom season, MU vs KU Border War Basketball Games and graduation each had their own micro-messaging aimed at encouraging good choices. 


This week those efforts were honored with a gold award from the Social Media Club of Kansas City. 

Recognizing JUNETEENTH

Wondering what Juneteenth is, or why it’s on the yearly calendar?

Juneteenth is a celebration often referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, that honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the last freed State of Galveston, Texas. Its significance dates back to June 19, 1865, when Texas received the announcement that Black Slaves were legally free, two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the struggles faced by the African American community in the past and recognizes the constant struggles of racism, systemic oppression and unequal rights faced in the present.

This holiday is not limited to the African American community, but is encouraged to be celebrated by people of all racial backgrounds and ethnicities. It is a hope that one day Juneteenth can be celebrated by all, to honor, embrace, and remember the history so pertinent to the African American community.

 The celebration of Juneteenth is one of many emancipation celebrations. This specific holiday is a state holiday in 45 of the United States. According to the Juneteenth Observance Foundation, “In 1997, through the leadership of Lula Briggs Galloway, President of the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage and Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Chairman of the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage, the U.S. congress officially passed historic legislation recognizing Juneteenth as "Juneteenth Independence Day" in America.”

Over 150 years later, there is still work to be done to ensure inclusive and diverse action in the workforce. Being educated and aware of cultural topics is only a step toward moving in the direction of a society that stands for equality and justice for all. Celebrate with the African American community and remember the history that has impacted our world today.  

Click the link to learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-MvzoTaV3A