What happens once you call 911 for a traffic incident?

September 29, 2021

You’re on the interstate, just enjoying the Iowa scenery when - all of a sudden - someone quickly merges from a ramp and clips the back of your vehicle. Your car spins and hits the cable barrier. Luckily you didn’t hit anyone else and you’re OK but pretty shaken. You grab your cell phone and call 911. What happens next?

“Every 911 call comes into one of Iowa’s 113 ‘public safety answering points,” said Ted Shipley of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Operations Division. “Typically, that would be a communication center for the Iowa State Patrol, county sheriff’s office, or other law enforcement. The answering point dispatches resources within their area of responsibility such as emergency medical services, fire, police, or the traffic management center.”

Iowa’s rural public transit – making lives better

September 23, 2021

You can’t slow Rosie Osterburg down. With several decades under her belt, Osterburg, who lives in Spencer, doesn’t drive, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get wherever she needs to go. From her exercise classes four days a week at the local YMCA to medical appointments in Sioux City, Osterburg relies on her rural transit system called RIDES to help her maintain her schedule.

Iowa 31 project in NW Iowa provides more than just a stable roadside

September 22, 2021

We exist to make lives better through transportation, but what happens when transportation improvements and the desire to preserve part of our history intersect?

Our mission is to provide a safe and efficient transportation system, and as we deliver the projects that achieve that mission, we also follow federal and state laws that ensure environmental stewardship. As planning progressed for a bank stabilization along the Little Sioux River and Iowa 31, Iowa DOT Location and Environment Bureau staff realized early on that this particular project would be very different than most. Archaeologist Brennan Dolan shared “we recognized from day one that this project would be mostly contained within the boundaries of a large prehistoric village site.” Following months of planning, archaeological excavation, and construction, in June the State Historical Society of Iowa awarded the Iowa DOT the 2021 Excellence in Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award. 

New edge rut chute keeps workers and motorists safer

September 7, 2021

NOTE: Innovation often happens as a progression over time. Little improvements that are passed organically are combined with other improvements gradually changing the way we do business. Often times we are unaware of everyone involved with the innovation.  Since this article was originally posted, we’ve heard from several of our innovators in Iowa DOT garages including those in Denison, Ida Grove, Pacific Junction, and Boone who have fabricated other edge rut chutes designed to make the work of our maintenance crews easier and more efficient. We apologize for anyone who was unintentionally not recognized in the article and we're proud of all of our innovators who take on challenges and solve problems in the name of making lives better through transportation. Thanks to all of the dedicated employees for their creativity!

As you’re driving along you probably don’t think much about the edge of the road and the rock that transitions between the paved shoulder and the ditch. The rock is meant to help you safely transition back onto the pavement. However, sometimes that rock settles or is moved by weather or traffic causing a rut to develop along the pavement. When this happens that rut may catch your tire and pull your vehicle in an unexpected way, potentially causing a safety issue.

New changing station options in Iowa rest areas are a game changer for families

August 25, 2021

Kristin Haar and her family want to have the freedom to travel from place to place like any other family. However, Kristin’s daughter Bronwyn has multiple disabilities due to FOXG1 Syndrome. These disabilities can make the most basic of tasks, like using a restroom in a public place, extremely difficult. “Our family has to carefully plan each outing or trip based on where we might be able to change Bronwyn,” explains Haar. “You don’t realize how life-limiting it can be to not have a place to take care of your loved one’s restroom needs.”

While many restrooms have accommodations for those in a wheelchair, the designs assume that the person using the facilities can take care of themselves. Many persons with disabilities need the assistance of someone else and extra support to fully attend to their sanitary needs.

McClanahan named Examiner of the Year

August 18, 2021

You could say 2020 was a year of challenges. Like many other businesses, we had to shift the way we do business to safely and effectively serve our customers. One of those changes was moving our driver’s license service centers from a walk-in model to an appointment model. The unique challenges of the year helped shine a spotlight on our need to move along a path of continuous improvement and maintaining our focus on the safety of our customers and service center professionals.

Iowa DOT finding new ways to reverse wrong way driving trend

July 16, 2021

Imagine you are sitting at a stop sign on a one-way road when all of a sudden another vehicle, like the pickup in the photo, turns beside you and is headed the wrong way down the road. You are likely flooded with emotions like panic, worry, and fear for the safety of that driver and anyone who might be traveling on the road behind you. It turns out that drivers get confused and go the wrong direction down Iowa highways quite often. While most wrong-way drivers realize their mistakes and turn around before anything bad happens, each year there are dozens of wrong-way drivers who cause crashes, injuries, or even death for themselves or others on the road.

Iowa DOT and first responders partnering with industry to gain better understanding of livestock-related crashes

June 24, 2021

It’s not unusual to travel down an Iowa interstate alongside a semi loaded with livestock or poultry. Easy access to world-class transportation and an abundance of corn and soybeans grown here make Iowa ideally suited for raising these animals. What we don’t often see, but can be a real issue, is the aftermath when one of these livestock trucks crashes, tying up a busy highway for hours, delaying your trip and increasing the risk of secondary crashes in the area.

Subtle changes will make getting around Des Moines metro safer

June 21, 2021

Big changes like adding lanes of traffic or building a new bridge get lots of attention. While those types of projects get the spotlight, many smaller improvements taking place, especially in the Des Moines area, are geared toward helping you get where you need to go more safely, reliably, and efficiently. Look for these tweaks from the Iowa Department of Transportation on your upcoming travels around the Des Moines metro.

Highway Helper program keeps Iowans moving in four metro areas

April 29, 2021

This week we are focusing on the safety of our workers in work zones and getting you through those areas without incident. However, work zones aren’t the only dangerous place to be on the roadway.

A stalled vehicle may not be viewed as a major safety hazard. But the Iowa DOT conducted a three-year study and found that 759 crashes occurred near or with stalled/abandoned vehicles. These crashes resulted in 16 fatalities and 249 injuries. 

No one leaves on a trip expecting their vehicle to have a breakdown or be involved in a crash. Being stranded on the side of the road, especially a busy interstate in a metro area can rattle even the most seasoned traveler and become as shown above can be a major safety hazard for both you and your fellow travelers. So if you find yourself on the side of the road in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Council Bluffs, or Quad City metro areas, you just might find one of our Highway Helpers coming to assist you.