Winter weather event results in bi-state response

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An unexpected bi-state and agency collaboration occurred in late February in the Kansas City metro. What started as a normal rush hour suddenly turned into an incident when temperatures dropped rapidly and unexpectedly and drizzle began to freeze. 

According to Traffic Systems Supervisor, Kelly Alvarez, there was a crash along the Lewis and Clark viaduct resulting in a full closure of the westbound Interstate 70 lanes. When fire and EMS responded to the incident, they became stuck due to the rapidly changing road conditions. 

"There were patients in the EMS from the original incident that needed to go to the hospital. Time was of the essence to clear the incident quickly," explained Alvarez. 

In order to treat the roadways, KC Scout's Traffic Management Center (TMC) contacted MoDOT maintenance crews out of Jackson County.

"We sent out crews to help treat the roadway for the EMS vehicles and other motorists but unfortunately before we arrived, temperatures continued to drop and a semi ended up getting stuck in the westbound lanes, blocking our access to the scene," explained MoDOT Maintenance Superintendent George Duncan.

The TMC then turned to KDOT for help. KDOT was able to respond from the west at Minnesota Avenue by coming up the ramp in the opposite direction to respond to the incident from the front of the queue. 

In addition to KDOT's efforts, MoDOT sent another maintenance crew from its strike team. The Kansas Highway Patrol escorted the team to the scene the same way that KDOT originally arrived. The crews were able to work together to get salt laid down freeing both the stalled semi and emergency crews.

The entire incident kept the roadway closed nearly three hours. While this type of incident response is rare, it certainly highlights just how well the agencies work together and function as a team. KC Scout is the nation's only bi-state traffic management system and circumstances such as these showcase how important this collaboration can be especially in times of need.

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