ST. LOUIS — With road-clearing duties behind them, MoDOT is spending the weekend repairing potholes. For safety sake - they want drivers to be on the lookout for slow-moving pothole repair crews.
MoDOT officials said they don’t normally repair potholes on weekends, but the freeze-thaw cycle this season has made that necessary.
“MoDOT crews are transitioning today from plowing to pothole repairing, through this weekend,” said Michelle Forneris, MoDOT assistant district engineer.
5 On Your Side caught up with a crew repairing potholes near Interstate 55 and Lafayette Avenue. Officials want drivers to stay alert.
“It is a slow-moving operation, so people need to be aware. We’ve got those trucks behind them – those truck-mounted attenuators, or TMA’s – behind them, protecting our people, but people need to slow down," MoDOT St. Louis District Maintenance Engineer Bob Becker said. "That’s our biggest concern. That’s why we’re here today to let everybody know we’re going to be out there, especially on a weekend when we’re not expected. We want everybody to be safe. We want our people to be safe.”
In November two MoDOT workers were killed when a driver having a medical issue hit a crew on Telegraph Road. MoDOT officials said in 2021, the agency experienced 61 TMA, or truck-mounted attenuator, strikes, statewide. More than half of those – 33 – happened in the St. Louis district, which consists of St. Louis city and St. Louis County, as well as Franklin, Jefferson and St. Charles counties.
“Those vehicle strikes occurred while those vehicles were protecting our crews on the roadway,” said Forneris. “So please, buckle up, put your phone down while you’re seeing these work zones. We want everybody to get home safely at the end of the day.”
MoDOT officials said if you’d like to report a pothole on major area interstates or state and lettered highways like Manchester Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, you can do so by calling 1-888-ASK-MODOT.