ST. LOUIS – For 30 years, one Missouri Department of Transportation team has been patrolling various roadways to help keep traffic moving safely and efficiently.
Emergency response crews work around the clock on nearly 225 miles of interstate or state roadways helping drivers with stalled vehicles, removing debris or responding to crashes or other incidents along the highway.
These teams are in place in St. Louis, Kansas City and in Springfield, MO.
“From its beginnings in 1993, the emergency response program has evolved from helping provide a quick battery charge or a gallon of gas. Now our emergency response team helps respond around the clock to incidents, such as crashes, to help traffic divert around the incident and get the vehicles moved off the roadway, clearing the lanes as quickly as possible,” said Tom Blair, MoDOT St. Louis district engineer.
By helping move incidents and clear vehicles from the lanes and shoulders as quickly as possible, the team also contributes to more efficient traffic flow, saving drivers gas and time. An additional benefit is reducing congestion, which reduces emissions.
The emergency response team works in conjunction with MoDOT’s transportation management center and Gateway Guide in St. Louis. With more than 1100 cameras and a 24/7 customer service team taking calls from customers on roadway issues or concerns, the center helps coordinate emergency response efforts with the appropriate agencies, or dispatches MoDOT emergency response or maintenance teams to respond to various roadway situations. The center also uses various tools, including social media, the Gateway Guide website and overhead message boards to share information on road conditions to the public so they may make informed choices based on real-time roadway conditions.
Gateway Guide shares information three ways –
Before drivers go – through the website. Drivers can check their routes and see if there are any major incidents or situations which may require investigating alternate routes.
On social media – Real-time alerts on incidents, lane closures and the like are shared automatically on Twitter at StLouisTraffic.
On the road – Gateway Guide shares messages on the overhead message boards, warning drivers of lane closures ahead and giving drivers the option to make last minute route changes. They also warn about slower speeds ahead, helping drivers be aware of upcoming congestion, so they can slow down and avoid having to hit the brakes to avoid a crash.
Statewide, the centers in St. Louis, Springfield and Kansas City are managing the components of the complete Intelligent Transportation System that provides monitoring through 1,150 speed sensors and more than 1,100 cameras as well as 258 dynamic message signs to share critical road information with drivers. In St. Louis alone, there are nearly 300 speed sensors, more than 125 overhead message boards, more than 700 closed circuit cameras and more than 1,050 traffic signals on the state system. And those numbers continue to grow.
Last year, in St. Louis, emergency response teams were dispatched to more than 26,000 incidents in St. Louis roadways with many of those calls being stalled vehicles, crashes or abandoned vehicles.
Emergency Response vehicles are equipped with tools, fuel, water, jumper cables, and other supplies to help drivers with minor mechanical problems or emergencies with the purpose of getting the vehicle off the road. They do not replace other motorist assistance programs, such as AAA. Again, their main purpose is to assist with clearing traffic lanes safely and efficiently to keep traffic moving as effectively as possible.
Personnel are trained to assist with traffic management, minor mechanical repairs, debris removal, and abandoned vehicle identification.
In St. Louis, emergency response patrols roughly 225 miles of roadway around the clock every day.
- I-44, from west of Six Flags to downtown
- I-55, from Route M to downtown
- I-64, from I-70 to downtown
- I-70, from I-64 to downtown
- I-170, entire route
- I-270/255, from Riverview Drive to Jefferson Barracks Bridge
- Route 364 (Page extension), from Route 94 to I-270
“For more than 30 years, MoDOT’s emergency response team has helped enhance the safety and mobility of travelers while reducing congestion and emissions on Missouri's roadways. This is a great deal for Missouri – helping keep people safe, while saving them time and money. We anticipate this program actively helping manage traffic for the foreseeable future and look forward to what improvements that future may bring,” said Blair.