KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Halloween may have been this week, but Missouri Department of Transportation crews are already preparing for snow and other bad weather. To ensure everything is ready when the first snowflakes fly, MoDOT is holding its statewide winter operations drill Wednesday, Nov. 7. The goal behind the drill is to ensure crews are ready to address major weather when it becomes an issue in Kansas City and across the state.
Motorists may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. The exercise should be completed by 3 p.m.
"The annual drill ensures we all know our roles during winter storms to do our jobs successfully,” said KC District Engineer Brian Kidwell. “More than 400 Kansas City MoDOT employees are involved in ensuring we clear roads and bridges as quickly as possible when winter weather hits.”
During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department’s emergency operations centers will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed to their trucks. Emergency communications systems will also be tested.
The drill serves as a training reminder to make sure proper equipment, plowing techniques and safety measures are used. In addition, every piece of equipment – every truck, motor grader, snow blower, and tractor – is inspected.
"Careful planning and preparation mean our crews can and our equipment will be ready when needed," Kidwell said.
MoDOT spends about $43 million each year statewide to keep roads clear in the winter and help ensure motorists get to their destinations safely and quickly. In an average winter, MoDOT employees plow about 6 million miles of snow and ice, which is enough to go to the moon and back 13 times.
For information on road conditions across the state, safe traveling tips, and other winter weather information, visit www.modot.org.
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Editor’s Note – Media interested in seeing the drill in action can get interviews and video at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the MoDOT Stadium Maintenance Building, 9101 E, 40th Terrace, KC, MO 64133.