#IAMKDOT: Kade Cooper

This month’s #IAMKDOT focuses on Highway Maintenance Supervisor Kade Cooper. He started in spring 2004 at the KDOT Mankato Subarea, then went to the Area crew and in 2011, was named the Supervisor in Belleville.

Cooper appreciates his work environment. “You don’t find many places that you enjoy the company of the people you’re working with,” he said. “And I like the hours in the summer so I can spend more time with the kids.”

Cooper coaches the baseball team for his son, Andrew, and attends softball games for his daughter, Kinley. He and his wife, Jackie, like to take the kids camping when they can. And they have a few cattle on his father-in-law’s farm that they take care of.

Cooper and his crew members are out on the highways year-round with overlay projects, right of way maintenance and snow removal operations. Winter brings a busier schedule, he said, with keeping all the equipment running, planning repairs with the mechanics, scheduling shift when storms come up, making sure pot holes are patched and stay patched as well as other maintenance duties.

We’re very dependent on the weather, Cooper said, and plans can get changed quickly. “We live in Kansas, if you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes,” he joked.

Cooper has seen many improvements in work zone safety. “We’re very fortunate we have the tools we have for safety,” he said. Everything has a purpose – from the cones to the attenuators to the arrow boards to the people working in the lane. We’re out there for a reason.”

But motorists must pay attention and follow the signs. “There are times we’ve had close calls even with crash attenuators,” Cooper said. “Sometimes they’ll go around the attenuators and then try to get in the lane that we’re trying to block.”

When he’s not on the highway, Cooper assists co-workers and agency partners in various training efforts. Cooper is a certified bucket truck trainer throughout District Two. To work in a truck with a basket, employees must go through certification before they can do it by themselves. 

He also trains people for Traffic Incident Management. Cooper works with fire departments, local law enforcement, local utility companies and others to train people how to set up traffic control if there was an incident in their area. Then they can go back and train their staff, he said.

Work zone billboards raise awareness across the state

Billboard design featuring Garden City crew members. 

The Kansas Contractors Association and KDOT have teamed up with several digital billboard companies across Kansas to promote work zone safety as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week. Lisa Knoll, KDOT’s Public Affairs Manager in southwest Kansas, said that the billboards were the idea of Frankie Burns, the Subarea Supervisor in Ulysses.

 “Frankie’s crew took a break for a crew picture for KDOT’s #MoveOverKS safety campaign,” Knoll said.  “He suggested we get that crew picture on the digital billboards in Garden City to help drivers understand that our crews are their friends, family and neighbors, and they have loved ones that want them to come home safely every night.”

Knoll said that they reached out to Mr. Media, who owns the boards in Garden City, and found that the company was willing to donate the space for a few weeks this month.

“We contacted the owners of the billboards in Liberal and Dodge City, who were willing to help, and the project just grew from there,” Knoll said.

Billboard design featuring crew members from Dodge City.

In a short time, the project developed enough that the KCA, a professional association of heavy, highway and utility contractors, stepped up to assist with coordinating the billboard donations. 

“Safety is one of the most important aspects of our trade,” said Michael White, Executive Director of the KCA.  “For highway contractors and anyone else working close to busy roadways, safety is always the number one priority for the workers who are focused on doing their jobs and for those driving through work zones. The KCA is pleased to promote safety whenever possible to help ensure highway workers remain safe in work zones and the traveling public can get to where they are going safely.”

At least 10 different digital billboard companies have agreed to run the work zone awareness graphics, which will feature KDOT crews on billboards as space is available in 14 Kansas counties from April 1 – 15. 

Billboard design featuring crew members from Wichita.

Brian Baker, a spokesman for Advertising Images which manages several digital billboards in Sedgwick County, said that they are happy to donate some of their billboards for the cause.

“Advertising Images is proud to support the safety of hardworking men and women improving the roads for KDOT and Kansas drivers and we are happy to be a part of this campaign,” Baker said.

National Work Zone Awareness Week begins next Monday, April 9. You can show your support for highway workers by wearing orange on April 9, which is Go Orange Day in Kansas. Remember to always slow down in work zones and pay attention.

Be on the lookout for these billboards across the state! Let us know if you see them!

Work Zone Wednesday: K- 51, near Hugoton

Looking west, the pavement reconstruction project located on K-51 in Hugoton will address long term drainage issues in the area and extend the pavement life of the roadway.

Today's Work Zone Wednesday features a pavement reconstruction project on K-51 in Hugoton, which is located in Southwest Kansas. In April, KDOT began this project designed to address a long term drainage issue in the area and improve and extend the pavement life of the roadway, the project includes replacing or upgrading 17 storm sewer inlets with drop inlets to improve drainage in the area, installation of a new box, seven new pipes and a new submersible pump that will improve drainage and correct an existing long term issue with standing water in the area.

The pavement reconstruction project along K-51 includes upgrading 17 storm sewer inlets to improve drainage in the area.

Asphalt pavement is being removed and replaced with 8-inch concrete pavement that will improve road conditions and extend pavement life.  Curbing will be replaced as needed and ADA ramps will be installed to meet current standards.  The project will also increase the turning radius at the intersection of U.S. 56 and K-51 to better accommodate truck traffic. Work will be completed in four phases and is expected to be completed by October 31, 2017. 

The pavement reconstruction project along K-51 includes upgrading 17 storm sewer inlets to improve drainage in the area.

Smoky Hill, LLC. of Salina is the primary contractor on the project with a construction cost of approximately $3.9 million.