In His Own Words: Help Us Make it Home

Clifton Scott's story is riveting. 

Clifton worked for MoDOT a long time, starting with our highway crews. He was very upset by a work zone crash that occurred in 2001 and in an interview with KMBC TV- 9 of Kansas City, he issued a plea to motorists.

Last fall, as he worked the scene of a crash as a Motorist Assist operator, a speeding driver struck and killed Clifton. 

His haunting words serve as a reminder. 

When you see a highway worker - or a utility crew member, law enforcement, tow truck operators or anyone else rendering service on or near a road - pay extra attention. Take extra care. 

Do it out of kindness. Do it because you respect their service. Do it because you know that they, like you, just want to make it home.

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.

Rate Our Work Zones

Next time you travel through a work zone on a state highway, take a second to evaluate it. Did you have enough warning that you were approaching the work zone? Were the signs understandable and easy to see? Did you feel safe?

Then when you return home or reach your destination (not in your car, please), go to http://www.modot.org/ let us know how we’re doing. The work zone customer survey gives you a chance to rate our work zones with the goal of making them safer and better.

Since the survey was made available last year, more than 2,000 people have provided feedback and MoDOT work zones are meeting customer expectations 90 percent of the time.

What about that other 10 percent? That other 10 percent is the reason we need your help. Leave your comments and let us know what we can do to improve the work zone. Visit http://www.modot.org/ and click on the Rate Our Work Zones button.

Road Trips: Memorable Versus Miserable

One of the most memorable road trip memories I have is of traveling from Jefferson City to St. Louis for a Cardinals baseball game when my husband and I were first married. We had taken I-70 and were about halfway to St. Louis when we approached slowing traffic that eventually brought us to a dead stop.

It was a hot, summer afternoon and as we sat stalled in traffic due to road resurfacing work, the air conditioner started to sputter and then conked out altogether. After a few minutes, we were both getting a little irritable. Things only got worse when my husband said, "You did remember the tickets, didn't you?" I can still see those tickets lying on the kitchen counter at home.

MoDOT works hard to make sure your trips are memorable, not miserable, but there are still going to be some inconveniences along the way. It's the price we pay for road and bridge improvements. Fortunately, there are tools that can help. MoDOT recently issued a list of 10 work zones to watch out for this summer. In addition, the department's Traveler Information Map provides details about construction work up to a week in advance. Find them at http://www.modot.org/.

These items would have come in handy when my husband and I made that road trip 21 years ago. We might have taken Highway 50 instead and sailed right into St. Louis. But, then again, we wouldn't have nearly as good of a story to tell the kids.

Working Together for Work Zone Safety

MoDOT and Missouri State Highway Patrol team up to keep work zones safe for everyone. Watch Trooper Kyle Green as he stops motorists that have been speeding in a work zone.

Working together, MoDOT and the MSHP show you why it is so important to stay alert and pay attention while driving in a work zone.

Tall, Orange and Handsome

Hold onto that steering wheel.

This week, a tall, orange and handsome stranger arrived in Kansas City. Known as Barrel Bob, he began his job this week as a fixture on the kcICON Project, reminding motorists to slow down and take it easy in a work zone.

Barrel Bob won't be a stranger for long -- he has a debut appearance in a PSA about driving safely in the kcICON Corridor. Don't miss it.
Who's behind those barrels? He's the creation of Robert Ohl, a Clarkson Construction employee. Barrel Bob took about 10 hours to build and comes in standard safety gear.

New blue icon lets motorists see into the future

MoDOTs Traveler Information map gets thousands of visitors every month. With work zone season upon us, a recent addition to the online map will make traveling across Missouri even easier. A new blue icon has been added that lets travelers see the location of future work zones up to a week before they start. This means you can see what’s ahead of you days before you even leave your house. Want to know what the drive to Branson is going to be like next week? Go to http://maps.modot.mo.gov/travelerinformation/, click on the checkbox next to the blue icon and get a look. The blue icon can let you prepare for delays which makes for a less stressful drive to your destination. The feature is also great for truckers who want to schedule around routes that may cause them drive time. It’s like seeing into the future!