Roadside Chat - Traffic deaths up 10%. That's scary.
October 27, 2023
Personnel updates for Sept. 29 to Oct. 12, 2023
October 26, 2023
Protecting worker safety during moving operations
October 26, 2023
When you think of a work zone, an image of pavement work or bridge construction behind a line of orange cones with workers and construction equipment might come to mind. These stationary work zones are often in place for a period of time and are easily found on the 511 system (www.511ia.org and the Iowa 511 app). But many work zones like those for simple maintenance or line painting move slowly down the road. This makes the work zones difficult for you to track on 511 and the workers in those work zones are more vulnerable to being hit by drivers who may not expect to see them on the road.
Sometimes to modernize, you need to take a step back
October 20, 2023
If you have visited one of Iowa’s next-generation rest areas, you’ll notice that each one has a theme and information to help you learn more about what makes Iowa unique.
The planners, engineers, and designers tasked with creating these rest areas not only provide a place to safely stop and rest but also tap into a wealth of historical information to help you understand the very deep roots of our great state.
Roadside Chat - Pass on left, get it right
October 20, 2023
All drivers are safest when they are traveling at a safe speed. Driving too fast or too slow based on the speed of the others around you can increase the danger for everyone in the area.
Roadside Chat - Why tempt fate? That text can wait.
October 13, 2023
Research by Texas A&M Transportation Institute notes that texting doubles your reaction time, which means you respond more slowly in an emergency. The research consisted of drivers maneuvering around a test track, once without texting and then again while texting while measuring reaction time to lights on the course.
2023 Iowa DOT Truck Roadeo engages DOTers and provides a competitive training opportunity
October 11, 2023
One fun and effective way to get the training our field forces need is through competition. This year our Maintenance Bureau brought back a traditional training tool, the Truck Roadeo.
Personnel Updates - Sept. 15-28, 2023
October 9, 2023
Planning for winter starts long before the snow falls
October 9, 2023
The weather is getting chilly, and you know what that means: winter is on the way. Salt is the main chemical we use to treat roads in the winter. There are many ways to use salt including mixing it with water and spraying that salt brine on the road to help keep snow and ice from sticking. In the right weather conditions, solid rock salt can be used to help melt the slick stuff. However, getting the solid rock salt to stay where we put it can be a challenge. One that our snowfighters meet head-on, starting with testing the effectiveness of our salt spreaders.