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District 11 Innovation Newsletter
DOTs Innovate
JAWS Debris Remover Missouri Department of Transportation
Watch This
Large debris, such as mattresses, ladders, and furniture, are a safety
Video of JAWS in Action
hazard to those who travel the roadways and especially dangerous for the
youtu.be/K71hYQ6LVV8
maintenance crews who remove the debris from the travel lanes. To keep maintenance employees out of the roadway while clearing away debris, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDot) developed JAWS
JAWS or Julie’s Automated Waste Removal System was named after a MoDot employee who lost her life while removing debris from the freeway. The integrated debris removal system is a pickup truck outfitted with a drop-down skid plate, controlled with a joystick inside the truck’s cab. A camera activates when the skid plate is lowered, allowing the operator to see the debris on the roadway. The driver is then able to push the object from the roadway to an area where the debris can be safely be broken down and loaded into a vehicle for disposal.
district11.onramp.dot.ca.gov/d11-innovation D11.Innovation@dot.ca.gov