Knights of the Night: How KDOT heroes help clear the roads after dark

By Ashley Perez
North Central Kansas
Public Affairs Manager

KDOT workers say that clearing the highways is rewarding, but the job can be dangerous.

Some crew members spend late nights during a snow storm driving defensively and hoping that nobody is about to pass them as they come up on a big snowdrift. They also must be able use their lights to try to see the edge of the road underneath all the snow.  

We  spoke to several KDOT workers to get more insight on working a snowstorm at night and even got a few suggestions from them for motorists so everyone can be equipped with the knowledge of how to travel safer this winter, here is a what they have to say:

Our crews not only battle colder temperatures, but also lower visibility at night. 

Low visibility:

“You have to work twice as hard at night because you don’t have the sun’s warmth to help thaw out the snow,” said Richard Adams, Equipment Operator in Minneapolis.

“Visibility at night is already low as the snow reflected off plow lights can be blinding, and when vehicles pass us and throw more snow in the air it is even harder to see where we are going,” said Max Bell, Shop Supervisor in Salina. “So we ask that you please avoid passing us and keep a safe distance.”

Damaged plows take important equipment off the roads for a long period of time,
please remember to give our crews room and time to work. 

Don’t crowd the plow

“We would like to remind motorists that although it may seem safer for traffic to follow right behind a plow truck, please keep your distance. It can be dangerous when vehicles follow too closely, because if we have to come to a sudden stop or slow down due to snow, they’ll hit us.  Not only do we have to pay attention to what we’re doing but also to them,” said David Bergman, Equipment Operator Specialist in Minneapolis.

The subarea crew in Beloit says this puts a damper on them when a truck is down due to being hit, and it take much longer to treat roads with less trucks.

If you’re stranded, stay in your car until help arrives

Brett Kuntz, Equipment Operator Senior in Abilene, would like to remind motorists how critical it is that they stay in their car and turn on their hazards or lights if they are stranded on the side of the road.

“This is important because we can’t see you until we get right up on you. ” said Kuntz.

Dennis Senters, Equipment Operator Senior in Beloit, also said to stay in your car if you are on the side of the road and added that it helps to yell because they try to listen when they come by as they often drive with the windows down in a cold cab to keep the windshield from fogging up and the snow from sticking.

“Wave a flashlight or flash dome light to help flag us down if you are on the side of a road,” says Brett Wildfong, Equipment Operator Specialist in Beloit.

Slow down, give us room

Jason Britt, Equipment Operator Specialist in Junction City would like to urge motorists to slow down and give them room. He says, “Although there’s less traffic at night, it’s also more dangerous as the temperatures drop. It’s scary to see cars spin out right in front of me and unfortunately, I’ve been hit twice in a truck.”

For some, such as Doug Newquist, Highway Supervisor in Beloit, working at night isn’t really a nightmare at all but rather an opportunity to be the community’s unsung hero. He says, “I will never forget when one journalist called us the “knights of the night” which couldn’t be more true because when we are out there we are able to check on motorists who may be stranded and in need of help when no one else is able to get to them, it’s very rewarding.” Like Doug, KDOT workers are ready to help you get to your destination safely this winter.

Acts of kindness: KDOT crews assist travelers in need of help

Acts of kindness at KDOT is not uncommon and it does not go unnoticed. Many employees have earned the upmost respect from their surrounding community by lending a helpful hand when it’s needed the most. 

“It’s common for equipment operators to pull over in their plow truck to help stranded motorists and check on the safety of those who may be inside,” said Donnie Burkholder, Equipment Operator Senior in Salina. 

When Strong City Equipment Operators Carl Zorn and Dean Switzer were doing route checks, they pulled over to help two motorists who blew a tire. They not only helped the couple to safely change the tire on a busy road but also helped to call a local shop and locate a new tire. Dave and Debbie McCarthy then wrote a nice thank you letter to KDOT expressing their gratitude to Zorn and Switzer. 

KDOT Equipment Operators Dean Switzer  and Carl Zorn from the Strong City office assisted two motorists who blew a tire. 

In another example, on an afternoon heading west on I-70 after a day of training in Topeka, Kenny Cohen, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Junction City, pulled over to help a woman change a flat tire. “The young woman had tears in her eyes and expressed sincere gratitude when I helped her,” said Cohen. Cohen says he and his crew have also helped to deliver fuel to stranded motorists and assisted motorists to find help for a broken-down vehicle.  

KDOT workers face many different scenarios with when finding a vehicle on the side of the road. Doug Newquist, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Beloit, said he will never forget when he pulled up to a vehicle from out of state who was parked on the side of the road because their family dog had just passed away while traveling. Newquist helped the family locate a nearby vet for cremation services while they were out of state. “Anytime a motorist is stranded on the side of the road it is our duty to stop and check on them,” Newquist said.

Amy Allen says she will never forget the story of when her husband, Scott Allen, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Salina, pulled over to check on a stranded vehicle and found a girl in tears who was about to take her own life. “Scott reacted quickly by comforting the girl and immediately called law enforcement who later told him he probably saved that young girl’s life when he found her on the side of the road,” said Amy.

Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator from Belleville, assisted a driver who was stuck in the snow earlier during a snow and ice event this past winter. 

This past winter many KDOT employees showed that by putting in long hours to help the team battle the removal of snow and ice. When you may have been at home sleeping in bed or sitting down to dinner, several workers at KDOT were putting on their work boots and winter coats so they could work to clear the highways and help keep Kansas moving. In one example, Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator in Belleville, pulled over to help a motorist get their vehicle unstuck by digging out the snow around it, laying salt under its wheels, and even helping to push the car out.

In another example, Clyde Thrush, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Minneapolis, was there when a citizen desperately needed his help to get the emergency care needed by clearing the path in his plow truck, so the local ambulance could get to the hospital.

KDOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor from Minneapolis cleared the way for an emergency vehicle so they could make it to the hospital in time to save a life. 

These acts of kindness make them the hidden heroes on our state’s highways by being there when you need help the most. They don’t wear capes and to them it is just part of the job as they pull over in their orange hat or vest expecting nothing in return but a smile. 

Whether it be needing to sit in a warm truck until help arrives on a cold winter night, being broken down on the side of the road and needing to call for help, or just needing help to safely drive from one location to another in bad winter conditions, KDOT workers are there to help.

KDOT crews assisted with Eureka tornado clean up

KDOT crews assist with picking up debris left behind from a tornado that moved through Eureka. 

An EF-3 tornado hit the town of Eureka on June 26 causing damage to the high school, houses, trees, power lines and the Kansas Department of Transportation Eureka Subarea office.

KDOT Area offices in El Dorado, Iola and Independence sent numerous employees, several dump trucks, message boards, loaders, barricades, a track hoe and a skid steer to assist in the clean-up efforts.

KDOT storage buildings sustained heavy damage from the tornado. A complete renovation to these buildings is scheduled for later this year. 

After helping the citizens of Eureka with clean-up efforts KDOT employees began cleaning and clearing their subarea maintenance office at Eureka. On a hot and muggy day in early July, several crew members could be seen sweeping away debris and relocating various objects that the twister’s high winds had flung far and wide on the grounds.

Equipment Operator Senior Roy Junkersfeld (right) and Equipment Operator Billy Jones (left) pick up debris left behind at the Eureka Subarea.

This year’s tornado was the second to strike Eureka in a two-year period. Eight people were injured. Seventy-eight residences either sustained significant damage or were completely destroyed. The tornado inflicted considerable damage on the subarea’s chemical storage and equipment storage buildings, wash bay, salt dome and office. Sultry daytime temperatures in the aftermath of the tornado, combined with long hours of community clean-up and little sleep, left the crew members “just exhausted,” said Subarea Supervisor Jeff Marks. Adding more hardship to conditions was a two-day power outage in the city.

State Transportation Engineer Catherine Patrick and Operations Director Larry Thompson visit Eureka to survey the tornado damage of the cold storage building. 

Yet thanks to dedicated KDOT staff, the bruised and battered subarea continues to carry out its work. On a brighter note, a complete renovation of the subarea is scheduled for later this year. Director of Operations Larry Thompson said that he was impressed with the clean up efforts.  

"Immediately after the tornado passed, the Eureka Subarea Supervisor Jeff Marks, walked into the shop area – because he could not drive due to downed power lines and trees – and started securing the site," Thompson said.  "This included shutting off the gas supply which was leaking due to a broken pipe and dealing with an oil spill to keep it out of the local waterway. Then as the crew trickled in, the Citywide clean up efforts began. When we were there on Friday, the Eureka crew and equipment from District 4 shops and District 5 were actively clearing the streets and hauling debris. Just like that was normal business and it certainly was not normal."

KDOT crew members clean up after a tornado damaged the Eureka Subarea. 

After the tornado struck, KDOT closed a 21-mile section of U.S. 54 for several hours. With power lines down, KDOT employees couldn’t access the Eureka shop until June 28, Iola Superintendent Derrick Shannon said.