Hot Times

There's one thing on every Missourian's mind today - how to deal with the heat.

Many of MoDOT's employees work in all kinds of weather. Our maintenance folks are experts at staying hydrated and taking breaks when needed. One of them is very concerned for you.

Barrel Bob, Missouri's work-zone spokesbarrel wrote a little piece for our blog today. We hope you enjoy it.

Gracious, people! The last time I was this hot, I was being extruded into existence at the barrel factory! But I was designed to take these temperature extremes. I'm a bit worried about you.

Missouri's work-zone spokesbarrel, Barrel Bob,
tries to provide his own bit of shade as he urges
travelers of all stripes to take extra care in the heat

From my spot here on the side of the road, I'm seeing some folks who treated today as any normal day. They're learning it ain't when they run out of gas or deal a breakdown on the side of the highway. That's a bad deal anytime, but when the world is superheated, the misery is quadrupled!

Do me a favor. Check your car before you head out. Do you need to get gas?

How 'bout them tires? Should you stop and get air or get that slow leak fixed?

If you need to call for help, does your phone have enough juice?

When was the last time you checked the coolant?

What about coolant for your body? Stocking up with water is a good idea for all travelers - those in vehicles, motorcycles and you self-powered movers on bikes and on your feet.

These are the kind of days you learn the true condition of your vehicle. Just try not to learn it on the side of a steamy road!

ABDUCTED! - Again! The Adventures of Barrel Bob Continue

It was a strange morning for the officer who had to write this incident report.

In the wee hours of October 29, MoDOT’s work zone protector and spokesbarrel extraordinaire, Barrel Bob, was abducted from his post on US 54 near the Lake of the Ozarks and forced to car surf atop a PT Cruiser.

Luckily, the Osage Beach police were on the job. They liberated the 11-foot tall safety mascot from the back bedroom of a Lake area condo.

Bob had sustained damage to his head and the amputation of his lower legs, but skilled technicians in MoDOT’s Jefferson City shop performed the plastic surgery necessary to bring Bob back to his glory.

Bob’s Facebook fans were shocked by the news, but began teasing him about being taken away by two female barrelnappers. Bob, however, only has eyes for his female counterpart, Barrel Betty, who works for MoDOT in the Kansas City region.

It wasn't Bob's first abduction. Last year, after several days missing from his job site, his dismembered body was found in a field in western Missouri. Those perpetrators were not identified, but those involved in the Osage Beach incident were identified and might face charges.

When the healing process is complete, Bob will return to his work, alerting drivers to pay attention and drive carefully in work zones. Follow his adventures on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MOBarrelBob.

Enter the Barrel Bob State Fair Contest

If you were hoping to see an eleven-foot-tall barrel man at the Missouri State Fair this year, look no further than the MoDOT Highway Gardens. He will be the orange-and-white striped figure towering over all of us reminding you to slow down and pay attention in work zones.

Barrel Bob wants to make sure you don't get lost on the way to visit him at the Missouri State Fair, so he's giving you an opportunity to win a Garmin nuvi donated by WHHL/Hot 104.1.

Fashion a likeness of Barrel Bob in any medium. Draw a picture, sculpt him from macaroni, paint him, it doesn't matter! Upload your photo to his Facebook page, and you will be entered to win the GPS. You have until his official debut at the State Fair on Aug. 11 to enter. Check out the official rules here.

Ready, set, DRAW!

Barrel Bob Praise

Today we're sharing some Barrel Bob praise from the KC area. Want to show him some love? Visit Bob on facebook!  

Minimizing Your Headaches

You have enough to worry about this weekend. Between your children running around with lit sparklers, keeping enough snacks and sunscreen on hand for the family picnic or pool gathering, and the lines for leaving the fair after viewing the fireworks downtown, you'll likely need a holiday from your holiday when July 5th rolls around.

We're here to help as much as we can. From noon tomorrow until next Tuesday, MoDOT will limit the amount of work happening on the roads. It's a busy weekend for travelers and we don't want to keep you from your watermelon-eating contest at the fair any longer than necessary.

We can't completely remove the orange cones - you might run into limited construction and lane closures. But we can help there, too -- plan for those by visiting our Traveler Information Map.

Keeping you a bit less frazzled helps us all. Last year 13 people were killed on Missouri roads over the Independence Day holiday. We're asking you to stay safe over the weekend and follow these tips:

• Buckle up - every trip, every time - safety belts save lives!
• Don't drink and drive -- no question, it's just dangerous, no matter how little you've had to drink.
• Slow down, pay attention and stay alert -- just like Barrel Bob says! You can check your cell phone later, and arriving alive is a crucial component of your fourth of July fun.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Know Before the Cones

It's the time of year when you're likely to see orange.Though MoDOT's construction budget is down, there are plenty of opportunities for those orange cones to appear in your windshield. Here are a few websites that can help you learn which highways have lane and bridge closures:


www.modot.org/tim - The map you use to check winter road conditions also provides the location for work zones. Use the interactive map link in the upper left corner to zoom in for a closer view.

www.modot.mo.gov/safeandsound - We're in the middle of a five-year program to fix 800 bridges. This summer, hundreds of bridges get a makeover. To complete the projects as quickly as possible, most bridges are completely closed. Go to the Safe & Sound site to learn which bridges are under construction, which are planned to start in the next several months and which will wait. The interactive map makes finding those on your routes easy.

www.modot.org/workzones - Visit this page to tell us how we're doing. Rate our work zones and let us know how we can improve. Do you have a suggestion or did we cause a problem? Let us know.

As always, you can call 1-888-Ask-MoDOT for questions, or visit www.modot.org.

Being Barrel Bob is Busy Business

Educating travelers around Missouri about work zone safety is hard work, and let me tell you, I have earned my stripes. Since Work Zone Awareness Week kicked off on April 4, I have been busy touring the state and telling everyone about keeping safe in work zones. You have to keep your eyes open though, because you never know where you’ll find me. The following are just a few of the places I’ve been spotted over the past few weeks:

In the Kansas City area, I’ve been seen on Interstate 70 and Interstate 435 as you enter the work zone close to the Blue Ridge cutoff. If you look closely, you may notice my partner Barrel Betty by my side.

In Mid-Missouri, I’ve been in work zones on Route 50 in Cole County, the downtown MoDOT General Headquarters building during the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission meeting, the westbound Interstate 70 rest area in Boonville for awhile, then in Benton County along Route 65 in Warsaw just south of Route 7. Currently, motorists can find me along westbound Route 54 at the Route Y interchange in Camden County.

In the St. Louis area, I began the week at the Page Avenue construction project on Interstate 270, visited the Chain of Rocks rest area, worked at the Traffic Management Center in West St. Louis County, at Interstate 44 and Bowles Avenue near Fenton for a resurfacing project and I even attended the Meet the Machines event on Lake Bluff Drive.

In my off time, I provide regular updates of my travels, as well as photos, radio spots, and sometimes even funny comments on my personal Facebook page. In fact, you might even say I’ve become somewhat of an international phenomenon since I currently have fans from eight different countries, several states and many cities. My fans even speak more than five different languages! But, no matter how you say it – my message is still the same … Don’t Barrel Through Work Zones! Keep on the lookout for me in a work zone near you.

Work Zone Safety is Personal

As part of work zone awareness week, we asked employees why work zones are personal to them and to motorists. 

Why is work zone safety important to Cory March, maintenance crew leader in Lancaster? 

"Everyone needs to take into consideration the importance of work zone safety. We all have families to go home to at night or would like to see again. 

Learn, practice and get to know work zone safety. Our lives depend on it."

Even Barrel Bob couldn't say it better. Don't barrel through work zones!

THIS is why you need to slow down.

Still thinking work zones are just something to barrel through quickly? THIS is why you need to slow down and pay attention when you see those cones, even if you miss seeing the workers behind them.

Barrel Bob Pleads Safety in Work Zones

Hey there! I’m Barrel Bob - I’m 11 feet tall, 8 feet wide, bright orange and hard to miss – and that’s good cause I’m going to be watching for you in Missouri work zones this summer.

Why is work zone safety personal to me? Those are my co-workers out there and I want to them get home safe and sound every night. And those motorists driving through work zones are our friends and family, and we want them to get where they are going quickly and safely.

I think I am pretty easy to spot when I’m in a work zone. I’d think with all the orange signs and orange lights, my co-workers dressed in those fashionable neon green shirts and matching hard hats would be too. …but every year, someone gets hurt…my comrades and hundreds of people just like you.

And why do they get hurt? Well, some of you I hate to say have lead feet, I guess, and go a little fast. Others of you like to follow just a bit too close to the car in front of you. The rest of you are just too busy groovin’ to your tunes, texting your BFF, or updating your status to all your 500 friends. Whatever the reason, I don’t want anybody to get hurt out here so keep your speed down and don’t try crawlin’ up anyone’s tailpipe. After all, the folks in these work zones are improving YOUR roads for YOUR safety.

And we’ll be all over the state this year with road and bridge construction. More than 300 bridges are scheduled for construction this year under MoDOT’s Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Statewide, work continues on a number of economic stimulus projects, as well as keeping 5,600 miles of minor roads in good condition through the Better Roads, Brighter Future program.

So stay alert, slow down and Don’t Barrel Through Work Zones. Find me on Facebook or learn more about work zone safety at www.modot.org.

Have You Seen This Barrel?

As more work zones pop up in Missouri, be on the lookout for Barrel Bob. Bob is MoDOT's latest work zone spokesbarrel, and has quite a travel schedule coming up. He'll be visiting work zones across the state, warning drivers to slow down in work zones and bringing attention to the importance of work zone safety. You'll see alot more of Bob in the coming weeks, especially with Work Zone Awareness Week beginning next Monday.

At eleven feet tall, he shouldn't go unnoticed. But if you want to follow his wherabouts, catch the inside scoop on his facebook page. 

You'll likely hear him on the radio, too. 

Barrel Bob Rolls Back Into Town

He may have lost his hard hat, but Barrel Bob was recovered in a field in Johnson County and is now safely back at his Kansas City home. He's resting up for a big engagement in a few weeks at the Missouri State Fair.

Bob had gone missing from his busy work zone at U.S. 50 and Bynum Road in Lone Jack over a week ago. We're so glad to know he's back safely, and hope that's true for all of MoDOT's workers each day on the job.

Barrel Bob, developed as part of the kcICON project, is a creation of Robert Ohl, a Clarkson Construction employee. All labor and materials were donated to create Barrel Bob, which took about ten hours to build. Barrel Betty, also a donation from Ohl and Clarkson Construction, joined Bob on the job this past February.

Welcome Back!

Searching for Barrel Bob

Where in the world is Barrel Bob now? What was intended as a fun, but informative safety campaign ended with an act of vandalism this weekend. Bob was taken from his location at U.S. 50 and Bynum Road without authorization on Sunday evening.

Barrel Bob was placed in a very active construction zone to send a safety message - to slow down and drive safely in work zones. Unfortunately his message was not taken seriously.

"We would very much like to see him returned and we are working with the police to find him," said Perry Allen, Construction and Materials Engineer. "Since 2000, 15 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty. Bob is the literal representation of how important driver awareness is to the safety of workers in the construction zone."

Allen encourages anyone with information about Barrel Bob's location to contact the Lone Jack Police Department or MoDOT at 888-275-6636.

While intended to be clever and eye catching, the Barrels also represent a very important message about taking it slow through work zones. With the loss of Barrel Bob an innovative education campaign on safety is no longer available.

Barrel Bob, developed as part of the kcICON project, is a creation of Robert Ohl, a Clarkson Construction employee. All labor and materials were donated to create Barrel Bob, which took about ten hours to build. Barrel Betty, also a donation from Ohl and Clarkson Construction, joined Bob on the job this past February.