Members of MoDOT top management will soon set out on a road trip to check the progress of the Smooth Roads Initiative throughout the state. Among other things, the "Seat of Your Pants Tour” will evaluate the smoother roads by how they feel when they're driving on them. The phrase was coined by Director Pete Rahn to describe how Missourians judge the roads they travel.

“By accepting the governor's challenge, we've made a commitment to the citizens of Missouri that we would deliver the Smooth Roads Initiative one year earlier than we planned,” said System Management Director Don Hillis. “We believe everything is on track to honor that commitment, but we want to get out to check progress.  Doing this now allows for some adjustments to be made, if necessary, before the end of the year.”

The tour will kick off Aug. 14 on Interstate 70, and will continue on all SRI routes across the state by October 6. The tour will run from August to October 2006 to enable MoDOT to track the progress and ensure the project is complete by the deadline, which is set for the end of 2006. In addition to smoothness, the tour will judge pavement markings, work zone safety, signing, striping and other important roadway safety features.

Several media events will accompany the tour to keep Missourians up-to-date on the status. The kickoff will outline what MoDOT is looking for and the wrap-up event will detail what was found and what is left.