Crash Car shows how seatbelts save lives

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wants to reduce the number of fatalities on Missouri roads.

In 2021 there have been 1,001 fatalities, a 3 percent increase from last year. Of those fatalities, 66 percent were not wearing a seatbelt.

The Coalition uses a Crash Car to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of wearing your seatbelts. The driver of this truck wore a seatbelt and survived the collision.

MoDOT and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety park the crash truck at schools and area businesses to show how life-saving seat belts can be. The truck is currently on display at Belton High School. If you know of a location that would like to park the Crash Car please contact Debra Huwar at debra.huwar@modot.mo.gov or (816) 207-7379.

MoDOT KC’s Mark Fisher takes part in Northland Chamber panel discussion

The Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion, which featured MoDOT’s very own Area Engineer Mark Fisher.

The event took place Thursday, Dec. 16 at the KCI Expo Center on the campus of KCI Airport and focused on transportation and infrastructure.

 Prior to the panel discussion, each panelist was asked to give a five-minute presentation on its organization’s efforts, especially those initiatives occurring in the Northland.

Fisher’s presentation centered around ways on how to interact with MoDOT, issues MoDOT faces, current and future projects and unfunded projects.

Fisher highlighted how citizens can report a concern, as well as the importance of the STIP, and its five-year rolling Capital Improvements efforts.

The goal of the panelist discussion was to help attendees better understand the process as it relates to identifying development, projects or needs in the Northland.

Fisher says it was good for MoDOT to be in attendance and his experience as a presenter was very helpful.  

Emergency Responders Light Up the Night for Children’s Mercy

Emergency responders from around the metro area worked together Tuesday, Dec. 14, to light up the darkness with a vehicle light display for everyone at Children’s Mercy Hospital. 

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s Emergency Response truck was just one of many including police cars, fire trucks, motorcycles, tow truck drivers and others who circled Children’s Mercy Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House bringing extra holiday joy to the children and staff.

“It was my pleasure and a privilege to be a part of something so positive. It was amazing!!!” said MODOT Emergency Response Operator Mike Maynard. “Everyone came together for this small but significant event to show support.”

The idea originated with KCPD K-9 Officer Scott Nelson, who grew up in upstate New York. There, a similar event takes place at the Golisano Children’s Hospital.

“I wanted to bring it here to make it a part of Kansas City,” Nelson said. “For all the kids inside, we show them our support.”

As seen on the hospital’s social media site, “Tonight, we received some fun and bright holiday cheer from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department. KCPD also invited other local first responders to bring a night of lights for all our kids and staff to enjoy. Thank you for lighting up the night sky this holiday season!”

 

UPDATE: 2021 Holiday Party has been canceled

Update: Due to an increase in Covid-19 cases the holiday party has been canceled for this year. We look forward to celebrating together again when it is safe to do so. 

The annual holiday sweater contest and will be on Dec. 21. The party will include the following:

12:00 p.m.: CLUSTER Game in Room 136 

12:30 p.m.: Kick-off to MoDOT Trivia-Scavenger Hunt in MoDOT Lobby 

1:00 p.m.: Ugly Sweater Contest Registration in room 136 and Cookie Competition Drop Off (in MoDOT Lobby) 

1:30 p.m.: Holiday Cookie Competition in MoDOT Lobby 

2:30 p.m.: Ugly Sweater Contest in District Office Lunch Room (where the vending machines are located) 

***A holiday movie and yard games will be set up and available all day in room 136. A photo booth will also be set up in the lunchroom.  

A bittersweet goodbye for MoDOT KC’s HR Manager

Human Resources Manager Deborah Hogan will retire from MoDOT at the end of the month and she says she only has one regret. 

 

“The only regret I have is that I didn’t start here,” Hogan said. 

Hogan started at MoDOT in July 2013 and has more than four decades of experience in human resources. 

 

“I tell people I’ve saved the best for last,” Hogan said. “This is the best place to be.” 

 

When asked what makes MoDOT the best Hogan doesn’t hesitate in her response.

 

“What I like the most about MoDOT is the people,” she said. “It is a family environment.” 

 

As HR Manager Hogan’s position touches every employee in some way. But perhaps the biggest impacts she has made are the ones with her own staff. 

 

“When Deborah hired me in 2015, I remember her telling me that she wanted to mentor me and that’s truly what she has done from day one,” Senior Human Resource Specialist Angela Norman. “She has poured into me what no other previous manager has done in my career. She believed in me when many times, I didn’t even believe in myself. She has truly been a blessing and inspiration in both my professional and personal life.”

 

Hogan’s staff used the word welcoming to describe her. 

 

“From my first day in the HR department, she immediately made me feel like I had been here since her first day,” Senior Human Resource Specialist Andrea Ricklefs said. “She wasted no time making me feel like I was a part of the HR team.”

 

Hogan treats her staff like family because she sees all MoDOT employees as family. 

 

“It’s not like you are just another number,” she said. “At MoDOT, it’s more than just a flexible work schedule. You can flex because we care about what’s going on with you.”

 

Hogan changed the date of her retirement several times this year. It went from Dec. 15 to Dec. 22, to Dec. 26. And now Hogan will be retiring on Dec. 31.

 

“It’s so bittersweet,” Hogan said. “I want to make sure that I’m leaving MoDOT and my staff in the best position.”

 

Hogan doesn’t know what retirement will look like for her but she said she wants to use her gifts and talents in some way. 

 

Her staff agrees that she has a lot to offer.

 

“I’ve realized that it takes someone special to be a leader,” Senior Human Resource Specialist Tanese Booze said. “Deborah’s ideas and guidance have always inspired us to do better. She has been an asset to our department, and I am going to miss an amazing, hardworking, and friendly supervisor like her.”

 

Ricklefs agrees.

 

“She’s grown into more than a boss. She is a leader, a mentor, and when you need it most, a friend,” Ricklefs said. 

 

Even though Hogan describes her retirement as bittersweet, she says she also knows the time is right. She looks forward to seeing her team continue to shine. 

 

“I have an awesome team and I know what they can do,” Hogan said. “This is an opportunity for them to grow.” 

 

 

Innovations Showcase next Tuesday

Kansas City District will once again host an in-person Innovations Challenge Showcase from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Lee’s Summit Maintenance Facility.

This showcase will be similar to the ones before the Covid-19 Pandemic, although masks and social distancing are encouraged.

“I’m excited to do it in person again, but we want to do it as safe as possible,” District Administrative Officer Joey Hinton said.

This year the district had 12 innovations submitted. These innovations will be on display during the showcase. Employees who attend will also have the chance to ask questions to the innovators.

Hinton said now is the time to start thinking about innovations you have for next year.

 

MoDOT to host unfunded needs meetings statewide

 

Public meetings will be held across the state from Nov. 16 through Dec. 9. There will be two meetings in the Kansas City District. The first meeting will be for Cass, Clay Jackson and Platte counties and will be held from 4-6 p.m, on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Mid-America Regional Council office at 600 Broadway Blvd, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105. The second meeting will be for the Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis, Ray and Saline counties and will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Warrensburg Municipal Court at 200 S. Holden St., Warrensburg, MO 64093. The current document and the draft updated High Priority Unfunded Needs document are available for review. Since the passage of Missouri’s additional 12.5 cent motor fuel tax increase in July, MoDOT staff have worked with metropolitan planning organizations and regional planning commissions throughout the state to develop a list of high-priority unfunded road and bridge needs.  The draft project-specific lists include $4.5 billion in road and bridge projects in three tiers. Tier one includes $543 million and includes projects we could accomplish in the time of the current five-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as federal and state funding levels increase. These projects have good estimates. Tier two is worth $2.1 billion and includes projects beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. Tier three includes $2.2 billion of projects that are also beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates. In addition, MoDOT staff worked with the planning partners to identify $1 billion in multimodal needs. “Even with additional revenue, transportation needs greatly outweigh funding available, and the challenge is determining the optimal projects to fund that provide the greatest return on investment to taxpayers,” said MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna. “Across every region of the state, feedback from Missourians has consistently prioritized maintaining the existing system as the highest priority. Other priorities include projects that improve safety, spur economic growth and provide more transportation choices. We value Missourians' input in this new draft as we work to prioritize the increasing federal and state transportation revenue.” The draft document and comment forms will be available online through December 22. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.

 

Employees donate blood on Thanksgiving Eve

MoDOT employees participated in a blood drive through the Community Blood Center on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

Altogether 36 employees donated blood. These donations could save up to 108 lives. 

In addition to the regular donations, some employees donated with the ALYX machine. ALYX machine collects two units of red blood cells instead of one during a single donation; platelets and plasma are returned to the donor during the process, along with a saline solution for hydration. These donations go straight to the hospital and are used within a day or two. The traditional donation takes up to a week to use. 

All participants received a free Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt. 

KC Scout Presents at ITS Heartland Annual Conference

 Recently, KC Scout participated in the 21st Annual ITS Heartland Conference at the Overland Park Convention Center. ITS Heartland is a five-state Chapter of ITS America consisting of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma Departments of Transportation. The three day event was held November 8-10 and was hosted by KDOT.  

"This conference is designed to facilitate information sharing for Intelligent Transportation Systems projects and activities and to showcase ITS applications within its five member states," explains KC Scout Special Projects Coordinator Nancy Powell. 

According to Powell, input also includes the latest news from the National Chapter, FHWA, University Transportation Researchers, and ITS product vendors.

This year KC Scout was selected to present in several sessions at the conference. Every year member states are invited to submit abstracts for the event. A committee determines which ones will comprise the three days of breakout sessions, panel discussions, demonstrations, and award ceremonies. KC Scout led the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Symposium and focused on how designers and planners can help improve TIM at their daily jobs.

"In addition to the symposium, KC Scout also presented an immersive video taking audience members through the handling of a typical crash event and all the parties involved in their specific roles during the event," Powell said.

The video presentation was written, directed, and filmed by the KC Scout team ahead of the conference and showcased a real event that had previously occurred along I-470 and how the team worked together to clear the incident safely.

On the final day of the conference, KC Scout Manager Randy Johnson spoke to the group on COVID-19 and the challenges it presented for TMC operations. He was also a member of the Past President's Panel sharing expertise with peers from previous years.

"Having deferred last year's conference from an in-person event to a virtual one due to COVID-19, this year was heralded as a reunion of colleagues, researchers, and vendors all happy to be sharing engaging conversations about ITS and what the past year looked like as we adjusted to a new way of conducting transportation business during a worldwide pandemic," said Powell.

The next ITS Heartland Conference will be held in April 2022 in Lincoln, Nebraska. There is no charge to DOT employees who wish to participate.

Silent Auction raises $1,140

This year the EAC raised $1,140 through its annual silent auction. All of the proceeds will go to purchase holiday gifts for families in the Adopt-A-Family program.

The item with the highest bids was a signed Tyrann Mathieu jersey that went for $330. 

Each year the Adopt-A-Family program enables MoDOT employees to purchase gifts for the children of team members who need a little help during the holidays. 

Employees can apply for the program through Friday, Nov. 19. The Angel Tree will go live on Tuesday, Nov. 23. 

Fill out the Adopt-A-Family application below if you are an employee you know is in need of help this holiday season. 

Maintenance workers prepare for winter weather

Senior Maintenance Worker Michael Arnett stressed the importance of driving as slow as you need to be safe at a recent tow plow training.

Maintenance employees attended tow plow trainings in Sedalia earlier this month led by Arnett. He encouraged employees to take their time with the tow plow during winter weather events.

 

“We are out there to be safe and get the job done,” Arnett said. “That truck is not good if it’s in the ditch.”

 

Like many organizations, MoDOT has experience staffing shortages, particularly in the maintenance department.

 

This year the Kansas City District had 102 employees attend the annual snow academy. And 50 employees attend the tow plow training.

 

Arnett works out of the Sedalia maintenance facility. He said his staff is concerned about this year’s winter weather season.

“Their main concern is they aren’t going to be able to provide the customer service we have in the past,” he said.  

 

Kansas City Assistant District Maintenance Engineer Trisha Sen acknowledged this year will be unique.

 

“We are significantly short-staffed, and we appreciate and value everyone who is plowing for us. We have made some changes to our snow routes and ranked them based on priorities. We will start with our higher priority routes and get them passable before we move to lower-volume routes. This means it will take us longer to get a plow on our lower volume routes,” Sen said. “The Maintenance Superintendents have made plans for subtle shifts in snow routes when needed (based on the storm and staffing levels). We understand the difficulties winter events cause, but we appreciate your dedication to making the roads safer for the traveling public.”

 

Kansas City’s snow route maps and plowing priorities can be found at Kansas City Maintenance - MAPS.”

 

Maintenance worker Brian Orell attended the tow plow training. Orell has been with MoDOT for one year but this will be his first year to operate the tow plow.

 

Last year Orell drove a traditional plow truck. The tow plow, invented here in Kansas City, enables drivers to plow two lanes of traffic at once. Orell said he is, “nervous but excited” about using the tow plow.

 

“I like doing the snow,” Orell said. “It’s peaceful at night.”

Crew Leader Lashawna Judon also attended the training on Nov. 9. She has been with MoDOT for 23 years, but this will be her first year to use the tow plow truck.

 

“I’ve never driven it as far as plowing snow,” Judon said. “I might this year because we are short-staffed.”

 

Staffing issues have impacted all the district’s maintenance buildings. We currently have a little more than half of the 400 maintenance employees needed to staff the district’s 200 trucks full-time. The district has another 40 or so other non-maintenance employees who will help plow snow when needed.

 

“Although we don’t have the staffing levels we would desire as we go into winter, I am confident our staff will give their best effort this winter,” Sen said. “It isn’t an easy job, but our regular maintenance crews and our non-maintenance helpers always get the job done. I am proud of the way our crews respond to emergencies to make the highways safe for others.”

Click here to view more photos from the tow plow training. 

 

Gov. Parson gives employees Nov. 26 off

During the the holiday season, our family has a tradition of giving thanks for all we have been blessed with, and we are so thankful for all of you – our state team members.

Today, I signed an Executive Order 21-11 closing state offices on Friday, November 26. While we can never thank you enough for your hard work and dedication to Missourians, we hope the extended holiday weekend will provide us all the opportunity to count our blessings and remember the good in our lives.

Teresa and I especially want to thank you for the level of commitment you have shown our state the past 20 months. This holiday season is much different than last, and thanks to your dedicated efforts, Missourians everywhere have access to a COVID-19 vaccine, and the threat this virus poses to our state is diminishing everyday. 

This holiday season, we hope all our team members take the time to enjoy themselves and spend quality time with friends and family.

From our family to yours, we wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day weekend and pray for safety, health, and happiness throughout the coming year.

Thank you for all you do,

Governor Mike Parson

Miles and Crusha crush work-zone safety training

Basic works for pumpkin spice lattes, scented candles and oversized cardigans, but when it comes to work-zone safety, basic doesn’t cut it.

“Go for more than what is just basic,” Maintenance Supervisor James Miles said during an advanced work-zone safety training in the Lee’s Summit Maintenance Building. “We can always do more, but we can’t do less.”

All employees whose duties take place in work zones have to attend this training and refresher courses are required for career advancement.

Maintenance Crew Leader Anthony Crusha led the training with Miles. The two emphasized the importance of safety over productivity throughout the training.

“Ask, ‘How can I make this as safe as possible?’” Miles said. “Yeah it may take 10 minutes longer but why not do it.”

Miles and Crusha discussed topics such as work-zone setup, driving in and out of a work-zone, the use of the Highway Patrol in work-zones and working after dark.

“These guys tag team in a great way,” Senior Safety Specialist Jim Taylor said.

This advanced work-zone training is done throughout the state. Crusha and Miles keep the Kansas City District trainees engaged throughout the presentation.

“They are excellent trainers,” District Administrative Officer Joey Hinton said.

The two gave a succinct message—always err on the side of safety. They encouraged employees not to try to do things on there if having other help would make the task safer.

“If you need the help, call it in,” Crusha said. 

Info on Adopt-a-Family, Silent Auction

It’s that time of the year again. Applications for the  Adopt-a-Family are being accepted now. Anyone is welcome to recommend a MoDOT employee if they know of one in need this holiday season. 

Supervisors if you will please print these off the  flier below for individuals that do not have access to email. The dead line for the Adopt A Family is November 15. Also here is the link for our silent auction https://www.32auctions.com/EAFSilentAuction2021 . Items on display are items that were donated from gracious  fellow MoDot Teammates.  The proceeds help us in purchasing items for the Adopt A Family program. On behalf of the KC EAEC we appreciate and thank everyone who helps out and participates. Let the bidding begin.      
 
Quick notes about the auction:

• You must sign up for an account in order to bid on items but can view them without an account (a quick and easy process)

• The auction is set to close on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 4:00pm

• Payments will be arranged separately to prevent the additional fees associated with utilizing the site to make payments

• Arrangements to pick up items won in the auction will be made immediately following the payment of the item(s) won

 
As always, if there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact Anthony Crusha or Krystal Jolly(or any of your EAEC reps and they can get a hold of one of us).

Happy Halloween

Enjoy these pictures from Halloween 2021 in MoDOT.  

Kansas City District stands up for safety

MoDOT employees stand up for safety every day, but on October 14 employees sat aside the entire day to focus on Safety.

MoDOT employees throughout the state participated in Stand Up for Safety Day on Oct. 14. Kansas City Health and Safety Manager Eric Ramsey said this year stood out for the district in many ways.

On June 28 Platte City Maintenance Supervisor Lloyd Crawford died in the line duty, after 18 years of work for the department.

 “Clearly, it was on people’s minds,” Ramsey said.

 Leadership spent time with various groups throughout the day discussing the importance of safety.

 “The participation was strong and much appreciated,” Ramsey said.

“Being short-staffed was mentioned quite often,” Ramsey said. “Even though short staffed, that won’t change our focus on going home safe every day.”

With labor shortages occurring nationwide, MoDOT’s leadership continues to emphasize the importance to slow down and focus on safety, despite current staffing shortages.

“We always put safety over productivity,” Assistant District Engineer Susan Barry said.

Fatal accidents can occur just as easily with a new employee and a veteran.  The average number of years of service for team members who have lost their lives on the job is eight.

“Safety is our number one priority,” District Engineer Chris Redline said. “No matter how many years of service you have under your belt, you need to take the time to slow down and stay safe.  We can’t allow ourselves to become complacent.  We must stay vigilant.”

Strains and sprains remain the most frequent on-the-job injury Ramsey said. Simple activities, like stretching, can help with balance and flexibility to reduce those injuries. These are the kind of practices that Ramsey said he hopes to see utilized in the maintenance facilities.

Safety messages and training will continue to be a priority in the Kansas City District, beyond the designated Stand Up for Safety Day.

“Every day is stand up for safety day for us,” Ramsey said. “Take all training seriously.

 

Governor Parson Uses Emergency Powers to Delay Leave Sweep

 Greetings State Team Members,

My Administration and I want to thank you for all the great work you have been doing to serve our fellow Missourians. We know how disruptive the COVID-19 pandemic has been in both your personal and professional lives, but please know that we recognize and appreciate your extraordinary work over the last 19 months.

Thanks to our dedicated team members, state government remained operational, delivered excellent results, and provided responsive service to Missouri citizens all across the state. This was not without cost and involved long working hours that prevented you from taking personal leave. 

Every year on October 31, any leave which exceeds the maximum allowable accumulation (240, 288, or 336 hours) is swept. We understand that due to workload conditions related to the pandemic many employees have been and are currently unable to use their accumulated annual leave. However, with operations normalizing, we want to ensure state team members have ample opportunity to use their accumulated leave. 

Accordingly, I am pleased to announce we are waiving the leave sweep scheduled to occur on October 31, 2021. You are encouraged to use your personal leave over the next several months in coordination with your supervisor or manager.

The next regularly scheduled sweep of annual leave exceeding the maximum allowable accumulation will be on October 31, 2022.

For further questions regarding this change or any inquiries regarding your annual leave, please reach out to your HR department.

Thank you again for your continued dedication to the State of Missouri.

 

Sincerely,

Governor Mike Parson

Snowplow Academy prepares for winter snow drill

On a picture-perfect fall day, members of MoDOT Kansas City’s Construction Department got a chance to learn the finer points of snow plowing.

On Thursday, Oct. 7, more than a dozen construction department workers gathered at the Grain Valley Maintenance grounds just off 40 Highway to take part in MoDOT’s annual Snowplow Academy. 

The academy is essentially a basic training for those who may not have ever taken part in snow removal operations.

There are several elements of the snow academy. There’s the portion in which participants learn about the equipment used in a snow fight. They’ll learn how to install plow blades, how to take them off, how to operator salt spreaders, and how to install snow-chains to the truck’s tires.

Most importantly, there’s the hands-on portion of the academy where participants get to operate the equipment.

They all got a chance to get behind the wheel of a snowplow and try to safely maneuver around an obstacle course. And in another station, they operated a front loader, where they practiced loading and unloading salt.

The academy is led by maintenance veterans here at MoDOT who are considered the experts. “These are crew leaders, assistant supervisors, superintendents, and even senior workers, everyone that has been in maintenance operations at least five years, said Maintenance Superintendent Stephen Butler.

All throughout the academy, safety is the focus. “Safety is the number one priority we’re dealing with, that’s why we are here, making sure they’re getting the proper training, adds Lee’s Summit Maintenance Supervisor Alfred Battle.

The academy is a three-day event. The first two days (Oct. 5 and 6) consisted of newly hired maintenance workers and those with minimal snow plowing experience. 

As a follow up to the Snow Academy, MoDOT will also have its annual Snow Drill, which will take place Thursday, Oct. 21.

The state-wide drill will test MoDOT’s winter battle plan to ensure its readiness to get travelers back on Missouri roadways as quickly as possible after a winter weather event.

During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. 

To view more pictures of the Snow Academy, click here.  

Oct. 22 is Buckle Up Phone Down Day in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Mike Parson has proclaimed Oct. 22 as Buckle Up Phone Down Day in Missouri in an effort to encourage Missourians to take two simple actions to save lives on the state’s highways – fasten their seat belts and put their phones down while driving.

For the fifth straight year, the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, along with safety partners throughout the state, will mark Buckle Up Phone Down Day to encourage better driving behaviors.

Since the program began in 2017, the BUPD initiative has spread steadily across Missouri and into more than a dozen other states. More than 14,000 individuals and businesses have accepted the BUPD challenge, and several other states are actively sharing the messages along their highways.

“Keeping momentum behind this challenge will help us reinforce the two easiest and most effective ways to stay safe and save lives on our highways,” said Robert Brinkmann, chairman of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety Executive Committee. “I encourage everyone to take today as an opportunity to make these actions a part of your routine every day and challenge your loved ones to do the same.”

Missouri’s 2021 Seat Belt Usage Survey showed 88% of vehicle occupants use a seat belt, matching the highest rate the state has ever recorded. But the unbuckled 12% make up a majority of the state’s roadway fatalities, which spiked in 2020 despite a decrease in traffic volume. More than two-thirds of the drivers and passengers killed in traffic crashes last year were not wearing a seat belt.

“The simple act of buckling up has proven time and time again to be a person’s single greatest line of defense in a crash,” said MoDOT State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood. “It only takes a few seconds to make these two simple choices with life-saving results: Buckle up, and if you’re driving, put the phone down.”

Cellphone use continues to be one of the most concerning behaviors for all roadway users. In 2020, nearly
60% of the distracted driving fatalities in Missouri claimed the life of someone besides the distracted driver.

Missourians can accept the challenge to BUPD at modot.org/bupd and spread the word on social media using the hashtags #BUPD and #BUPDDay.

Choose your favorite pumpkin

 Thank you to everyone who brought pumpkins to compete in our contest to raise money for the MSECC.

You can put cash and coins into the jar next to the pumpkin. If you are not able to make it to the office, you can Venmo @Arley-Hoskin. Include the number of the pumpkin for which you'd like to vote. 

The winner will choose the MSECC charity to donate the money from the contest. 

General Services 1

Traffic 2

Nashua 3

Nashua 4

Northmoor 5

Project Managers 6

Kansas City finishes up MO Route 291 project

Next week the Kansas City District will wrap up a project at the intersections of Route 291 and Scherer Road and Thompson Drive and 16th St in Lee’s Summit.

The project includes the installation of turn lanes and traffic signals at the Scherer Rd./Thompson Dr. intersection. The project includes the addition of right-turn lanes and removal of the median cross-over and left-turn lanes at the 16th St intersection.

The new turn lanes and traffic signals at Scherer Rd./Thompson Dr. will provide for the safe, orderly, and efficient movement of traffic with improved access to MO Route 291. Removal of the median cross-over and turn lanes at 16th will eliminate left turn and cross-over traffic movements in order to improve safety.

The improvements at Scherer Rd./Thompson Dr. will improve access to MO Route 291. The improvements at 16th St will shift left turning and cross-over traffic movements to adjacent intersections at Scherer Rd./Thompson Dr. and Persels Rd./Bailey Rd.

The semi-final for this project is scheduled for this Friday and traffic control will be pulled next week.