January 2017 Interchange by WYDOT

Interchange January 2017

Happy New Year, WYDOT! Welcome to 2017

Letters

Resurfaced Wyoming roads I travel many roads in many types of weather. Resurfacing road (WYO) 313 – eastern section and (WYO) 270 – southern section has made traveling much safer and more pleasant. I would like to let all those know who worked on these roads how their time is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Cathy Metcalf

Excellent information found on wyoroad.info

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I just wanted to take a second to commend you folks for what I’ve found to be the very best road conditions website in this great Union – and it’s not even close. Your site is easy to navigate, provides detailed explanations without using a ton of “industry” jargon and sets travelers up with road condition forecasts that are about as accurate as a human, with a little bit of technology, can project. I’m guessing that like most internet comment thingys, your team primarily hears from the public when they have something negative to say and for that I apologize. This is a comment intended to do the very opposite of that, and give your fine team an electronic pat on the back for your exceptional work and to simply say thank you.

Interchange is published for employees of the Wyoming Department of Transportation by its Public Affairs Office and a number of field correspondents. Interchange invites submissions from all employees. Please send them to either your district correspondents or to: Carlie Van Winkle, Interchange editor, 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY, 82009-3340. The Public Affairs Office may also be contacted by phoning (307) 777-4165, or sending email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov

Mike Jones

Procurement Supply Catalog

Vol. 45, Issue 1

Staff WYDOT Director: William T. Panos

Public Affairs Manager: Doug McGee

Editor: Carlie Van Winkle

Contributors: Aimee Inama Carlie Van Winkle Jeff Goetz Stephanie Harsha Ronda Holwell Cody Beers Sgt. David Wagener

Public Affairs Public Affairs District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Patrol

Photography: Rick Carpenter

Public Affairs

Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/wydot. pao, or click on the link found on the employee’s internal website home page.

Updated and Improved. Check it out. 2

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a n

January 2017

DOT publication

Contents

Features 8 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cold outside! Tips for prepared winter driving

9 DUI holiday kickoff a success Natrona county doing its part to end drunken driving

9 Lyman employee wins big Heavy equipment operator wins vehicles and cash

10 Midwest student experiment Do deer whistles reduce crashes?

Also in this issue Letters.........................................................................................2 District briefs.............................................................................4 By the Numbers.......................................................................7 TechNotes................................................................................12 Training.....................................................................................13 District news...........................................................................14 Extra Mile Awards..................................................................16 Holiday recap..........................................................................17 WTDEA......................................................................................18 Outdoors................................................................................. 20 Break Time.............................................................................. 23 On the cover:

A Grand Teton sunset. Photo: Rick Carpenter

Kindly recycle this publication after reading. January 2017

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District Briefs Commission awards $14 million in highway contracts in December

Cheyenne – Construction crews will be repairing a section of CY Avenue in Casper and US 20/26/87 near Evansville in Natrona County this spring. The Wyoming Transportation Commission during its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 8 awarded the mill and overlay contracts to Knife River of Cheyenne, which was the lowest bidder. The contracts were two of seven the commission awarded totaling $14 million. For the $3.4 million CY Avenue (WYO 220) contract, crews will be working on 2.5 miles of that section of road between Robertson Road and Wyoming Boulevard. Besides the mill and overlay, crews will replace three existing traffic signals with new ones on CY Avenue. The contract completion date is June 30, 2018. For the $2.6 million US 20/26/87 contract, crews will complete 4 miles of mill and overlay work. The contract is being paid for with 10-cent fuel-tax revenue, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2017. The rest of the contracts the commission awarded included guardrail work, patching, slab replacement and other work throughout the state. McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co. of Worland was the low bidder on a $3.6 million mill and overlay contract on 11 miles of WYO 120 between Meeteetse and Cody in Park County. The work is being paid for with 10-cent fuel-tax revenue, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2018. Knife River won a $1.8 million chip seal contract for work in Campbell, Crook and Sheridan counties. The work will be completed on WYO 332 and WYO 338 in Sheridan County, US 212, WYO 24 and US 14 in Crook County and sections of I-90 on the west side of Gillette in Campbell County. The contact completion date is Sept. 30, 2017. S & S Builders of Gillette was the low

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January 2017

bidder on a $1.3 million concrete slab replacement contract on 5 miles of east and west bound lanes of I-90 between Sundance and the South Dakota state line. The work is needed due to cracking in the concrete. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2017. Also awarded by the commission were contracts for: n $1.1 million to DePatco Inc., of St. Anthony, Idaho, for patch work on WYO 390 and US 189/191 in Teton County, US 189/191 and US 191 in Sublette County, US 89 and US 30 in Lincoln County and WYO 28 in Sweetwater County by Oct. 31, 2017; and n $558,600 to K’s Construction Inc. of

Powell for guardrail work between Daniel Junction and Hoback Junction in Hoback Canyon by Oct. 31, 2017.

WHP stays busy during statewide snow storm; Trooper injured Cheyenne – The snowstorm that traveled across Wyoming Nov. 17-18 kept all members of the Wyoming Highway Patrol extremely busy. Troopers investigated a total of 321 crashes statewide, while WHP dispatchers answered 1,450 calls from 7 a.m. on Nov. 17 until midnight on Nov. 18. Only 55 of the 321 crashes involved injury, while the remaining crashes involved property damage only. No fatal crashes resulted during the two days of inclement weather. On Nov. 18 around 9 a.m., a trooper was in his vehicle at the scene of a crash near milepost 138 on I-80, approximately 38 miles east of Rock Springs, when a tractor trailer combination lost control on the icy road and collided with the parked Patrol car. The trooper was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries but is expected to make a full recovery. Patrol reminds motorists to slow down and increase following distances when experiencing inclement weather and to slow down and/or move over when approaching emergency vehicles with lights flashing.

Wyoming roads prepared for increase in traffic for UW championship game Laramie – WYDOT was ready for the increase in traffic going to the University of Wyoming football game for the Mountain West Conference championship on Dec. 3. No delays were anticipated for motorists due to construction or maintenance on I-80, WYO 287, WYO 487, WYO 34 and US 30, which are the routes drivers can use to get to Laramie. WYDOT partnered with the University of Wyoming to ensure travelers were able to get to the game with no issues. Not even weather impacted travel, but WYDOT was ready just in case. “If we do have weather we’re prepared, as always,” said Tom DeHoff, district engineer out of Laramie. “We had workers on standby just in case.” WYDOT’s partnership with UW and the work it does on its roads on a daily basis is in line with the department’s goals of improving safety on the state transportation system, serving its customers and taking care of all physical aspects of the state transportation system. “We want to make sure everyone gets to the game safely and gets home safely,” DeHoff said.

No injuries after crash involving a bus carrying University of Wyoming students Rawlins – No injuries were sustained after a crash on Dec. 17 involving a charter bus that carried University of Wyoming band members and other university members to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, Calif. The crash occurred just after noon near milepost 208 on I-80 westbound west of Rawlins. Four westbound charter buses carrying UW students and other university members to the Poinsettia Bowl were traveling together on I-80 on the ice covered highway at reduced speeds.

A westbound 2001 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by an 18-year-old Evanston resident attempted to pass the buses and lost control on the ice. The Ford began to fishtail and crashed into one of the four buses. After the charter bus was struck by the Ford, the bus entered the north ditch before the 61-year-old driver of the bus from Aurora, Colo. regained control of the bus and was able to steer the bus back onto the shoulder of the highway and come to a controlled stop. The investigating trooper credits the actions of the charter bus driver for maintaining control of the bus after the crash as the main reason for a lack of injuries from this crash. The driver of the Ford was cited for traveling at a speed too fast for the ice covered highway.

seat belt and was transported by ground ambulance to Star Valley Medical Center in Afton and has been hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Hunter was taken to Carter Animal Hospital in Thayne and received a clean bill of health. The WHP cannot express enough gratitude for the community response and assistance from this event in taking care of Neilson and Magrath, as well as helping locate Hunter. Col. Kebin Haller said, “This event is yet another example of the high level of quality our Wyoming citizens possess from the support that was provided to our K-9 team last night. This couldn’t have ended any better.”

crashed through a right-of-way fence, traveled across a service road and eventually became disabled in an open field. The 30-year-old driver and lone occupant in the Buick led troopers on a brief foot pursuit before he eventually surrendered without further incident. The Buick had been listed as stolen from Fremont, Calif. on Nov. 29. The driver was taken to the Sweetwater County Detention Center in Rock Springs and has been charged with possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, fleeing and eluding, reckless endangering, possession of methamphetamine, property destruction and various driving offenses.

Photo: WHP

Afton – A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper K-9 team and a Thayne man were injured Dec. 7 after a two vehicle crash occurred at mile post 105 on US 89, approximately 20 miles north of Afton. The crash occurred after the trooper had stopped to turn around to assist a motorist with a tire change. As the trooper made a U-turn from a stopped position on the shoulder of the highway to assist the broken down motorist, the trooper did not see a northbound 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup truck driven by 58-yearold Kenneth Magrath of Thayne. The two vehicles collided in the middle of US 89. After the crash, K-9 Hunter escaped from the patrol vehicle and ran from the crash scene. Hunter was eventually located by troopers after tracking Hunter in the snow for approximately 3 miles in -15 degree temperatures. Patrol was also helped in locating Hunter with the assistance of the Lincoln County Sherriff ’s Office, troopers from adjoining divisions, and a very large community response through a community Facebook alert. Magrath was wearing his seat belt and taken by ground ambulance to the Star Valley Medical Center in Afton and was treated and released. Trooper Scott Neilson was wearing his

Photo: WYDOT

WHP K-9 team injured after two-vehicle crash K-9 Hunter giving Trooper Landon Call a “thumbs up” while at the Carter Animal Hospital.

Pursuit not involved in Evanston area bank robbery Evanston – A Riverside, Calif. man involved in a pursuit with troopers from the Wyoming Highway Patrol on Dec. 6 has been confirmed to not be a suspect in a bank robbery which occurred that same day in Evanston. On Dec. 6, troopers in Sweetwater County were searching for a possible suspect vehicle involved in a bank robbery in Evanston earlier that day. A vehicle matching the bank robbery suspect vehicle was located and stopped near mile post 85 on I-80 eastbound approximately 5 miles west of Green River. As the trooper exited the patrol car, the white 2017 Buick LaCrosse took off at a high rate of speed. As the Buick eluded troopers at speeds reaching 130 mph, deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff ’s Office deployed spikes on the Buick’s tires at milepost 99 on I-80. At milepost 100, the Buick exited I-80, traversed a ditch,

The stolen Buick from Fremont, Calif. had its tires spiked before crashing through right-ofway fencing and a ditch before coming to a stop in an open field.

More Belt Loop work in Rock Springs Rock Springs – WYDOT crews worked on the bridge that connects Dewar Drive and Blairtown Road on the WYO 376 Belt Loop, next to Chopstix restaurant Nov. 28. The work lasted one day. Crews minimized closures and reduced local traffic disruptions. During the operation, traffic was routed through the work area over the bridge at reduced speeds. Crews replaced two bridge joints on the bridge deck. “Basically we are pulling out the old material and upgrading it. This is a better product and it better meets our needs. We just want to provide the best quality product possible,” said Kurt Kuhlmann, WYDOT Construction. The contract was awarded to Reiman Corp. and Subsidary of Cheyenne, in September of 2015, for about $1.5 million. Briefs continued on page 6 January 2017

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tinue construction of the new north interchange structure and will continue the construction of the new on/off ramps. Work will begin on construction of the new alignments of North Main Street, Yellowtail Drive, Industrial Road and Decker Road. This work will include underground utility work, roadway and surfacing, lighting and enhancements, pedestrian underpass, sidewalks and pathways. WYDOT and the contractor plan to hold a public meeting in the spring outlining what motorists and pedestrians can expect during the 2017 construction season. Two-way traffic will be maintained with pilot car/flagging operations and all business access will remain open, but there will be delays. Phase 2 is expected to be completed in the fall of 2017. Phase 3 will begin in 2018 and will consist of reconstructing north Main Street from Fort Road to Goose Creek. This will include underground utility work, roadway surfacing, side-street and business access tie-ins and improvements, lighting and enhancements, pedestrian sidewalks and pathways. Two-way traffic will be maintained with residential and business access open at all times. Other work in phase 3 will consist of isolated reconstruction/widening and new surfacing to the westbound lanes of I-90. Phase 4 will begin in 2019 and will consist of isolated reconstruction/widening and new surfacing to the eastbound lanes of I-90. Also, the contractor will complete all enhancements, clean-up and reclamation work associated with the project.

Briefs continued from page 5

Work continues on North Sheridan Interchange Project Sheridan – Construction of the new North Sheridan Interchange on I-90 will continue through the winter months as part of the $46.4 million North Sheridan Interchange Project. The project entails replacing the existing interchange with a new diamond interchange about a mile north on I-90. The work will also include realigning Decker Road and reconstructing North Main Street. WYDOT awarded the contract to Reiman Corp. of Cheyenne and High Country Construction Inc. of Lander in June of 2016. Work will be completed in four phases over a three-and-a-half year time period with a completion date of October 2019. The contractor began working on phase 1 in July. Phase 1 consists of grading operations and dirt work for the new interchange ramps and new interchange bridge. This work has taken place in the location of the new interchange near Vacutech on both the north and south sides of the interstate. To date, the contractor has moved approximately 450,000 cubic yards of dirt to create fill for the new interchange on and off ramps and the new bridge. The contractor will continue working on the bridge structures and pedestrian underpass through the winter, as weather permits.

Sheridan – Crews from WYDOT closed US 14A west of Burgess Junction for the winter on Nov. 29. The closure was originally scheduled for Dec. 1, but due to inclement weather, crews decided to close it early. WYDOT seasonally closes this 22-mile stretch of scenic mountain road in the Big Horn Mountains of north-central Wyoming at the end of the fall hunting season. According to WYDOT District Maintenance Engineer Larry Konetzki, heavy snows and relatively light traffic during the winter months make maintenance of the mountain portion of US 14A impractical. “The area Highway 14A passes through is known for producing huge drifts, and trying to keep it open is a losing battle,” said Konetzki. “As a safety precaution, WYDOT usually likes to close the road seasonally rather than as a reaction to a storm.” Seasonal road closure gates are located at Burgess Junction (just east of milepost 98.1) and on the Lovell side of the mountain near milepost 76.04. During the time the road is closed, motorists can use US 14 via Granite Pass and Greybull as an alternative route from Sheridan to Lovell. WYDOT will open US 14A next spring after crews spend a projected three weeks to remove the winter snow pack on the road.

Photo: Rich Hall, Sheridan Maintenance

Weather causes US 14A seasonal closure

Photo: WYDOT

District 4 plows on US 14A prior to seasonal close.

The North Sheridan Interchange is starting to take shape.

Phase 2 will begin in the spring of 2017. During phase 2, crews will con-

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January 2017

Speed limit drops to 65 mph west of Cody; nighttime speed limit of 55 mph implemented

WHP

Cody – The 70 mph speed limit on about 17 miles of US 14/16/20 west of Cody dropped to 65 mph in early December, as well as a nighttime speed limit of 55 mph on the same segment of highway. WYDOT approved the speed limit change and the implementation of the 55 mph nighttime speed limit. The new 65 mph speed limit is limited to about 17 miles of US 14/16/20, basically between the tunnels/Buffalo Bill Dam and the boundary of the Shoshone National Forest. “Public comments were overwhelmingly in favor of the speed limit dropping to 65 mph, and citizens attending October’s public meeting at Wapiti supported the idea of the 55 mph speed limit between dusk and dawn,” said WYDOT District Traffic Engineer Randy Merritt of Cody. “We appreciate citizen involvement in this issue. We urge people to drive at or below the posted speed limit for the wildlife and to improve driver safety.” The 45 mph speed limit through the Wapiti community will remain in effect. n

Total number of highway fatalities: as of Dec. 19, 2016

Total number of employees: as of Dec. 4, 2016

1,937

111

One month ago

144

One year ago

1,951

Photo: WYDOT

one year ago

1,908

New speed limit signs were placed in early December in the Cody area.

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It’s cold outside! by Aimee Inama When motorists head out for either a short or long trip, they need to make sure they’re prepared now that the winter months are here. Some of the ways motorists can be prepared include having an emergency kit in their vehicles, making sure their tires are properly inflated, making sure their tire treads are still good and keeping the gas tank full. Emergency kits should contain such items as water, nonperishable food, flares, a shovel and blankets. Another way to stay safe is for motorists to make sure their vehicles are in good working condition. “You want to make sure the mechanical and the exterior parts of your vehicle are ready for travel,” said Sgt. David Wagener, of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “Specifically, you will want to check your windshield wipers, tires, headlights and defrosters to make sure they’re all working properly.” Colder temperatures may cause tires to lose pressure, which can cause difficulty when driving. “The lower the PSI the less surface area the tires are going to have to be able to grip,” Wagener said. “Your tire tread is also important because if it’s worn you won’t be able to get traction on snow, ice and rain. So make sure you’re maintaining your tires by checking both the tread and PSI once or twice a month.” Before heading out, motorists should make sure their windshield is also clear of any debris. If people just clear a small section of snow or ice from their windshields, it can be dangerous because it may prevent them from seeing properly. “If you only have a tiny amount of space to see out of when you’re driving, you’re jeopardizing your visibility,” Wagener said. “You need to have clear visibility especially when you’re driving through intersections or encounter stop signs, yields signs and traffic lights. Make sure you give yourself more time to clear the snow and ice off your windshields in the front, rear and sides so that you have full visibility.” Another way motorists can stay safe is to have a full tank of gas before leaving. That way, if they get stuck in traffic, slide off the road or get into an accident, they will have enough fuel to keep the vehicle running so they can stay warm. “There are also some parts in Wyoming where gas stations are pretty few and far between,” Wagener said.

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If motorists become stuck in their vehicles, Wagener said it’s best to call emergency services and stay put. “Don’t start wandering off if you do get stuck,” Wagener said. “There could be low visibility, which can result in you becoming disoriented and lost. When first responders show up, they don’t want to have to also start looking for you.” While waiting for help to arrive, motorists also should check to make sure their tailpipes aren’t blocked by snow. “It’s also good to keep one or two of the windows slightly cracked so you have fresh air coming into the cab of the vehicle,” Wagener said. Tips on being prepared for travel during the winter n Make sure your gas tank is full. n Check once or twice a month to ensure tire pressure and

treads are good.

n Have an emergency kit that contains water, nonperishable

food, flares, a shovel and a blanket.

n Stay with your vehicle if you get stuck or in an accident. n Always make sure your cellphone is charged or bring a charger

with you so you can call for help if you need.

n Make sure your windshield is clear of debris.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Tips for staying prepared when driving in the winter

A small kit can be assembled and kept at hand in a small backpack in the trunk space of car for emergency situations.

Noteworthy

The parade theme this year was a favorite Christmas memory, so Goetz and the group partnered with two of the three cab companies in Casper who work with Safe Ride a sponsored cab ride home from bars in the city. The cars donned banners stating “My favorite Christmas story was the night I called Safe Ride.” The overall theme for the Natrona County group is “Doing Our Part to End Drunk Driving.” The group has sponsored public service announcement messages and billboards around town to remind people to report drunk drivers, not to drink and drive and to use provided services such as Safe Ride to get home safely. n

DUI holiday kick off in Natrona County a success

Local cab companies promoted the “You Drink and Drive, You Lose” message during the parade.

Photo: Lt. John Becker, Natrona County Sheriff’s Office

The You Drink and Drive, You Lose group of Natrona County had an entry in Casper’s 2016 holiday parade held on Nov. 26. District 2 Public Involvement Specialist Jeff Goetz has been a member of this group for several years as a representative of WYDOT.

The You Drink and Drive, You Lose group in Casper’s 2016 holiday parade held on Nov. 26.

Photo: Rick Carpenter

WYDOT employee wins WyoLotto giveaway

Above: Nathan Harrison and his family – wife, Michelle; son, Dylan; and daughter, Kadee – standing with the new Camaro and Harley Davidson trike. Top from left: Mark Macy, chairman of WyoLotto, and Jon Clontz, CEO of WyoLotto, were joined by mascots Mr. Luck and the WyoLotto Jackalope.

by Aimee Inama Nathan Harrison couldn’t believe he won. When officials from the Wyoming Lottery Corporation called to congratulate him on winning their Ride of a Lifetime giveaway, the Wyoming Department of Transportation employee said he was in total disbelief. “Actually at first I thought it was a hoax,” he said. “I forgot I had entered. My wife called back and found out it was real.” Nathan won a 2016 Chevy Camaro, a 2016 Harley-Davidson Freewheeler trike and $3,000 in cash as the winner of WyoLotto’s Ride of a Lifetime. Jon Clontz, CEO of WyoLotto, and Mark Macy, chairman of WyoLotto, were joined by mascots Mr. Luck and the WyoLotto Jackalope in awarding Nathan his prizes during a news conference on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Cheyenne Depot Museum. Nathan was joined by his wife, Michelle, and children, Dylan, 17, and Kadee, 15. During the news conference, lottery officials also announced its newest game, Lucky for Life, where the grand prize winner receives $1,000 a day for life and the second prize winner receives $25,000 a year for life. Nathan has worked for WYDOT for the past four years as a heavy equipment operator out of Lyman. He previously served active duty in the U.S. Army for 20 years. Nathan was born in Evanston and moved to the Bridger Valley in 1984. n

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M i d we s t student e x p e r i m e n t:

do deer wh i s t l e s reduce c r a s h e s?

Story and photos by Jeff Goetz, District 2 Public Involvement Specialist

We’ve

all heard the saying, “like a deer in the headlights.” For anyone who has actually hit a deer with their car, it’s often those inside the vehicle who look like the old phrase. It’s a crash that often happens without warning; scary, damaging and expensive. Z

A group of students at Midwest deer from being hit by cars,” the School recently approached group noted in a statement given to WYDOT District 2 about a class WYDOT. project to help reduce the number “Heather O’Brien, a wildlife of vehicle/deer crashes in the specialist with Wyoming Fish area. On Nov. 10, students in and Game told us they go on two Ronni Mull’s fifth and sixth grade to four calls per week involving science classes began their winter deer collisions. … Deer cross the long project to test the effect of highways and other roads to get food “deer whistles” on reducing such and water and (then go) back to their encounters. young.” Across the nation, the number The students said they of deer/car crashes total roughly brainstormed and decided to try 1.25 million per year, according to Trinade Jost helps teacher, Ronni Mull, hang one of the deer “deer whistles” to see if they could whistles on an I-25 delineator post. a study by State Farm Insurance, keep deer off the highways. The which includes moose and elk. devices they chose are similar to ones Wyoming ranked eighth in drivers attach to their cars’ bumpers. the nation for car/deer crashes When moving, the whistle emits between July 2015 and June 2016, a high-frequency sound which, in according to State Farm, meaning theory, would startle a deer, or any that a driver has a 1-85 chance other animal, in the roadway of hitting a deer on Wyoming’s On Nov. 10, the students assisted roadways. These numbers don’t by WYDOT and the Natrona County include antelope/car crashes. In Sheriff ’s Office took to Interstate 2015, there were 2,696 crashes 25 and affixed deer whistles onto involving animals in Wyoming. delineator posts at intervals of 1 mile For Mull’s students, the facing each other to cover a distance numbers are hard to comprehend of 10 miles between just north of but the end results aren’t. Any car/ Ormsby Road and the WYO 259 exit. deer crash impacts all involved and Midwest students Trinade Jost, Trenton Lingo and Sinhai O’Brien “We placed them on one side it is all involved they are trying to take time from their experiment for a photo-op. of the road because they will cover save. both sides of the road. We chose the Calling themselves “Midwest Dabbing Deer,” the group, southbound lane because the wind blows from the south to the consisting of students Sinhai O’Brien, Tae-Ree Nickelson, north,” the students said. Trinade Jost, Trenton Lingo and Yoselin Flores Lujan, were given The students theorize wind will provide enough moving air an assignment to study an animal and try and find a way to help to make the whistles “sing.” They can cover upward of a half mile that animal thrive. Their first choice was a panda but given there mounted to a post. are no pandas in Wyoming to help, they settled on deer after “They will not chase the deer away (but) simply make them Mull told them about one she saw that was hit by a car. pay attention,” they said. “We came up with the question of how we could prevent Years of tests performed in the United States and abroad, dating to their invention in Austria in 1979, have been inconclusive as to whether deer whistles actually work. In fact some of the commercially available whistles have been show to emit no noise at all. Undeterred, the students feel their study is worthwhile. They have requested the help of WYDOT and law enforcement to notify them if any deer have been hit within their test area and they reported as of Dec. 2, no deer had been killed within those boundaries. “We are so proud of what we’ve done. We feel we have done something good for nature,” they said. Mull’s students have used this experiment to compete in the annual FIRST LEGO League competition. The competition challenges students to identify a problem and seek a solution. The students took first place in research on Dec. 3. The whistles will remain in place until sometime in February. n Left: Teacher Ronni Mull reviewing the learning points of the experiment with the students at the roadside delineator post. Opposite: A deer whistle attached to the delineator post.

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TechNotes

Upcoming 2017 Replacements by Rusty England, IT Working on the computer replacements every year is a team effort. This starts during the WYDOT budget cycle. The Help Desk (ETS direct bill personnel) work with the WYDOT Budget Office to compile a list of computers up for replacement, based on our replacement cycle. The cooperation of the WYDOT employees is important to this step, because we need you to have your computers turned on and connected to the network. We then use a tool to inventory the connected machines. Once the budget is approved, we will know how many and what types of computers (CADD, laptop, desktop, ruggedized) we will need to purchase. In a typical year, we will replace about 20 percent, or 400, of the total computers across the department. At this point the Help Desk revises the specifications for the new computers and gets bids for the replacement computers. Next,

the Help Desk will review the bid results and select some systems for testing. The last step is to award the bids. This year there have been a few changes. n Solid State Drives – Switching to these drives will increase both performance and durability. The most noticeable change will be the reduced boot times. n Smaller Desktop Footprint – The new desktops will be smaller,

but still provide adequate performance.

n Touch Screens on Laptops – With the move to Windows 10

and a general trend toward using a touch interface, we made the decision to include touch screens on the new laptops.

What’s a Solid State Drive? Like a memory stick, there are no moving parts to a solid state drive. Rather, information is stored in microchips. Conversely, the old hard disk drives used a mechanical arm with a read/write head to move around and read information from the right location on a storage platter, like switching tracks on a record player. This difference is what makes solid state drives so much faster and more durable if dropped. Employees will notice a significant performance increase and will see their new systems boot up within seconds. n

Check out these upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U, the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) and WeLL.

Coming in January: Date Class 1/10/17 1/11/17 1/13/17 1/18/17 1/19/17 1/23/17

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Speak Up! Improving Your Assertive Communication Skills Pavement Management: Full-Depth Reclamation & Stabilized Full-Depth Reclamation Confined Spaces Awareness Preventing Backovers and Runovers New Employee Orientation

Coming in February: Date Class 2/1/17 2/2/17 2/8/17 2/8/17 2/9/17 2/9/17 2/15/17 2/22/17 2/28/17

Confrontation Management & Conflict Resolution PCCP Urban Joint Layout & Design The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) – 1785 to Present Bridging the Generation Gap at Work Breaking Through the Barriers: Improving your Interpersonal Communication Skills 10 Ways to Handle Your Overburdened Inbox District 2 Roadshow - TBD Franklin Covey’s 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity Creative Problem Solving

PMI Competency Judgment & Decision Making Communication Vocational Vocational Vocational Communication

PMI Competency Judgment & Decision Making Vocational Vocational Developing Others Communication Personal Effectiveness TBD Judgment & Decision Making Judgment & Decision Making

To register, or for more detail, visit the Training intranet page. 12

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January 2017

Location

WYDOT-U WYDOT-U Webinar TLN TLN WYDOT-U

Location

TLN TLN TLN WYDOT-U WYDOT-U TLN Casper WYDOT-U TLN

“Developing the Leader Within You” workshop series concludes

Photo: Aimee Inama

by Kurt Borgaard, Training Services “We need to have the vision of zero harm in order to accomplish it,” were the words put forth by Chad Hymas. Hymas is a noted motivational speaker and author and he used those words as the heart of his leadership and safety message over the last twelve months here at WYDOT. He led a series of nine workshops aimed at bringing safety awareness to current and emerging WYDOT leaders, with an overall objective to drive down our growing number of on-the-job safety mishaps. Utilizing principles and practices from the classic text, “Developing the Leader Within You” by John Maxwell, Hymas’ purpose for these workshops was to delve into these leadership practices. In turn his challenge to WYDOT supervisors was to apply these leadership principles to safety and; to care enough about their co-workers, employees and the public who use our roadways. He wanted to foster a culture and a vision of everybody returning home safely, everyday. Beginning in January 2016 and concluding this last December, over 150 people attended one or more of Hymas’ workshops, with an estimated 2,000 contact learner hours logged. Nearly half of the participants were credited with attending all sessions. The concluding session and graduation was held on Dec. 15 in the WYDOT Headquarters Auditorium. After receiving words of encouragement from Employee Safety Program Manager Ron Chavez, former District 5 District Engineer Shelby Carlson and WYDOT Director Bill Panos, each of the attending participants received a certificate of completion from Director Panos. Chavez outlined to participants that it is the desire of the

Photo: Aimee Inama

Training

Employee Safety program to continue to move toward increased accountability through “behavior based” safety. Realizing that when we all hold ourselves and each other more accountable to do things in a safe, prescribed manner, less people get hurt. As a result, we protect our most valuable asset, our people. Carlson, who was instrumental in procuring Hymas for this series of workshops, advocated to participants to set safety goals, and to retain safety as a primary value in all that they do. Employees need to know that you value them and their safety. According to Carlson, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” As they move beyond these workshops, Carlson encouraged class graduates to stay connected through the Google Community that had been instituted by Training Services during this series. Also, Carlson noted that Hymas had also been working with Matt Carlson from WYDOT Highway Safety to take the safety message to high school students throughout the state. In his address to the participants who had completed the workshops, Panos encouraged the group to be leaders who realize that it is “the people who make an organization work.” Additionally, he identified that as leaders develop for the future, there are three attributes that are key. The first attribute is for a leader to have passionate commitment and excitement about what they do. The second attribute is competence: continuing to develop the depth and breadth of their knowledge and expertise. And the third attribute is a leader’s ethics and the integrity in their relationships. According to Panos, integrity helps build the trust that is necessary to move forward in positive and innovative ways. In his well wishes, Panos persuaded workshop graduates to make personal connections, to build trust and encourage innovation within the organization. Hymas’ call to action was for the graduates to apply what they had learned toward the vision of zero harm. According to Hymas, “It’s been a great 12 months.” n

The “Developing the Leader Within You” graduating class, Dec. 15.

January 2017

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District News

Melissa Martinez, Strategic Performance Improvement – 5 years; and Ashley Schlegel, Driver Services-Policy and Records – 5 years.

Headquarters

Retirements

Welcome

Service Awards

Joseph Dellos, Patrol-Safety and Training; Daniel Eggli, Patrol-Safety and Training; Kayla Foster, Right Of WayNegotiations; Taylor Ree, Geology; and Brian Slinker, Facilities ManagementGrounds.

Jerry Plumley, Facilities ManagementBuilding Maintenance – 35 years; Paul Jones, Traffic-Administration – 30 years; Harlan Edmonds, Right Of Way-Negotiations – 20 years; Rachael Pivik, Bridge-Engineering Design – 10 years; Brianne Lopez, GIS/ITS – 5 years;

Promotions and Transfers Laura Schei, Maintenance Staff WYDOT Headquarters; and Katherine Wisdom, Bridge-Engineering Design.

Plumley

Schei

Wisdom

Jones

Edmonds

Mary Ann Furtney retired on Nov. 5 after 41 years of service. During her time at WYDOT, she worked as a budget specialist in the Federal Aid office.

Furtney

Congratulations Sara Janes Ellis was selected for the Local Government Coordinator position in Policy and Planning. Scott Gamo has been selected as the Natural Resources Janes Ellis Program Manager. Gamo comes to WYDOT from the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish. n

Welcome

Cradle Call

Ryan Graves, Saratoga Maintenance; and Jared Humphreys, Rawlins Maintenance.

Congratulations to District 1 Traffic Engineer, Randy Griesbach and his wife, Lorna, on the birth of their first granddaughter, Emma Eileen. Emma was born to parents Leah and Andrew Morrison of Laramie on Dec. 1, weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long. Emma joins big brothers, Joshua, 4; and Matthew, 3. Congratulations to the Griesbach and Morrison families! n

Service Awards Bradley Schaefer, Cheyenne Maintenance – 5 years. Schaefer

Photo courtesy of Randy Griesbach

District 1

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Get travel information by dialing 511, following us on Twitter, visiting www.wyoroad.info, or through the new Wyoming 511 app.

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District 2

Welcome Justin Collins, Lusk Maintenance; and Mark McMurray, Midwest Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers Kerri Becker, Driver Services-Regional District 2; and Leland Hunt, Casper Traffic-Striping.

Service Awards Lisa Hanson, Port Of Entry-Casper – 20 years; Franklin Duzik, Torrington Maintenance – 5 years; and Clinton Haver, Casper Patrol – 5 years.

Hanson

Haver

Torrington lieutenant to take over WHP District 5 captain duties WHP Lt. Steven Sanders, the Goshen and Platte County area division supervisor, was promoted to the rank of District 5 captain on Nov. 28 by Col. Kebin Haller. District 5 covers northwest Wyoming including Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Sanders Park and Washakie counties. Sanders began his career with Patrol in May 2003 and was initially stationed in Lusk. As a trooper, Sanders was also stationed in the Cheyenne and Torrington areas until he promoted to the rank of lieutenant as the Goshen and Platte County

area supervisor in March 2011. Col. Haller congratulated Sanders and stated “Steve’s longevity as a lieutenant and his proven leadership, teamwork, and hard working attitude will serve District 5 and the Wyoming Highway Patrol well.” Sanders is replacing Capt. Tom Pritchard who transferred to WHP Headquarters in Cheyenne back in September 2016. n

District 3

Welcome Samuel Gee, Rock Springs Maintenance; KC Knowles, Kemmerer Maintenance; Ronald Lyons, Wamsutter Maintenance; Malinda Mortensen, Driver Services-Rock Springs; and Jennifer Sigurdson, Port Of Entry-Evanston. Schwab

Promotions and Transfers Bill Johns, Afton Traffic-Striping; Charles Mallory, Rock Springs Maintenance; and Tyler Mullen, Traffic-Signing.

Frye

Moss

Whitman

Justin Moss, Jackson Maintenance – 5 years; and Harold Whitman, Labarge Maintenance – 5 years. n

Johns

Service Awards

Kaufman

WTDEA representative Carl Bennett (left) with Richard Grabowski, one of the winners of the WTDEA State Board scholarship raffle. Grabowski won the conservation stamp print.

Photo: Stephanie Harsha

David Kaufman, Jackson Construction – 20 years; Courtney Schwab, Afton Construction – 20 years; Andrew Frye, Rock Springs Patrol – 5 years;

January 2017

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District 4

District 5

Welcome

Promotions and Transfers

Retirements

Cody Hernandez, Gillette Maintenance; Bryan Lozier, Sheridan Maintenance; Rebecca Terry, Sundance Port of Entry; and Ellie Wilson, Driver ServicesGillette.

Brandon Blakesley, Thermopolis Mechanics.

Michael Nelson, with Cody Maintenance retired Nov. 1 with six years of service to the state. n

Service Awards Erik Jorgensen, Sheridan Patrol – 10 years; John Collins, Sheridan Maintenance – 5 years; and Randal Hartley, Buffalo Mechanics – 5 years.

Service Awards John Light, Lander Patrol – 10 years; Joel Sherman, Shoshoni Maintenance – 10 years; and Kirk Koch, Riverton Maintenance – 5 years.

Blakesley

Jorgensen

Light

Nelson

Sherman

Koch

Collins

Congratulations Scott Taylor has been selected as the district engineer in Sheridan. Taylor replaces Mark Gillett who was recently promoted to assistant chief engineer-operations. n Taylor

WYDOT salutes the following Director’s Extra Mile Award recipients. The award is presented to individuals who have traveled the “extra mile” in service to WYDOT.

le Afte yc

r ading! Re

ease Re l c P

Congratulations to our November recipients! Chris Perkins Scott Prettyman Chris Salmon David Shepard For more information about the Extra Mile Award or to nominate someone, contact Katherine Castaneda at Katherine.Castaneda@wyo.gov. 16

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January 2017

Holiday Fun Stacey Gierisch of Highway Safety and Antonia Torres of WHP Records cohosted the 16th annual women’s networking Christmas party at a local Cheyenne restaurant. Employees, retirees and daughters were all present for the dinner with a little bit of holiday cheer. A “white reindeer” gift exchange took place after the dinner. Founded in 2000, the women’s networking group hosted meetings and conferences geared toward women at WYDOT. The founding members of the group were Janice Burlew, Janet Farrar, Shelby Carlson, Jan Barhite, Deb Ornelas, Susie McHenry and Sally Duran.

Photo: Stacey Gierisch

Women’s Networking Christmas Party

The women’s networking party at a local Cheyenne restaurant was a success with more than 20 WYDOT employees, retirees and daughters for the annual “white reindeer” gift exchange.

WTDEA Decorating Contest

Best overall – Budget

Best office – Doug McGee, Public Affairs

Best door – Compliance an d

Investigation

< Main floor Headquarters custodial staff > Office Services

Fuel Tax

Strategic Performance Most terrifying – Geology

Bridge Main building lobby

Field Operations Highway Development

Mailing Services

I-25 Port of Entry

WHP Records

WTDEA

WTDEA Christmas parties experienced great turn-outs

The Driver Services crew was in attendance in their holiday finery.

Photo: WYDOT

Family Christmas party at Roller City

Photo: WYDOT

sweater t-shirts.

Families skating at the WTDEA Family Christmas party at Roller City.

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January 2017

Photo: WYDOT

The Family Christmas party was also a big success, with an attendance of 154. A combination of nearly 50 gift cards and various movies were given away to the kids. A huge thank you goes out to Jason and Cynthia Fernandez for manning the check-in table, Vickie Hintze for taking photographs, Renee Krawiec for rounding up all the gift cards and helping out during the party, JT (Santa) and Kim Todd for all they do for the kids every year, and last but not least, the owners and staff of Roller City for making our party a great success every year. n

Photo: WYDOT

Nick Hines & his wife Mandie Hines, Jason Bogstie & his guest Emily Cronbaugh, Chelsey Lindsay, WTDEA President Robyn Eifert and Laura Schei.

were given to everyone in attendance. The envelopes contained anywhere from $5-$50, for a total value of $1,035 in cash given away. A few â&#x20AC;&#x153;hotâ&#x20AC;? donated items included the liquor and wine baskets donated by various departments and the iRobot Roomba vacuum donated by Director Panos. Many thanks to the Radisson Hotel, Information Technology, Strategic Performance Improvement, Geology, Driver Services, Project Development, Traffic, Highway Project Delivery, Highway Patrol, Right of Way, Engineering Services, Procurement Services, Highway Development, Cowboy Jones Carpet Cleaning and Lindsey Weber from Reflections Salon for your raffle item donations. Thanks to all party attendees and everyone who participated in the raffles throughout the year to make this event a success.

Roller City staff paying Santa a quick visit.

Photo: WYDOT

The holiday season brought much cheer to the WTDEA headquarters chapter. They sold 102 tickets to the Annual Christmas party and raised more than $8,000 throughout the year including raffles, WTDEA contributions and ticket sales. The event included a buffet dinner and dessert by the Radisson and beer and wine compliments of WTDEA. Many grand prizes were up for grabs at the event, including a $500 Visa gift card, a $300 Menards gift card, a $250 Visa gift card, donated by WyHy, and a $200 King Soopers gift card. The winner of the winter 50/50 raffle was Dani Galluzzo from Driver Services. She won $300. Additional raffle prizes were given away, including 35 gift cards to local restaurants and retail stores for a total value of $1,000. In addition to the raffles and other prizes, cash envelopes Keith and Tracy Fulton and their amazing ugly

Photo: WYDOT

Adult Christmas party at the Radisson Cheyenne

Kim Todd and Santa (JT Todd) at the Family Christmas Party.

s S tate E mployee

SERG

up Retirement Gro Gather with other state retirees monthly.

SERG meets at noon the second Monday of each month at the Cheyenne Radisson (formerly the Holiday Inn). The gatherings include a brief business meeting, social luncheon and an educational program.

WTDEA announces member of the year Holly Daniels, office support specialist in Geology, was recently named WTDEA member of the year. Daniels has been a member of WTDEA for over five years. “This was a total surprise,” Daniels said of getting the honor. “I’m pleased and very honored for being chosen.” Daniels has assisted with various WTDEA activities during her time at WYDOT including the chili cook off, the coloring contest and other activities. She’s also active within her own program, organizing different team building functions. n

Roger Nelson – 634-1881 Ron Labreque – 632-8240 Donella Marrs – 635-5858

Photo: Rick Carpenter

Contacts for further information:

WTDEA Member of the Year Holly Daniels complete with sash and tiara.

WTDEA 2017 Cash Calendar Enjoy 12 months of photographs taken by WYDOT employees.

It’s NOT too late to get in on the prizes! All proceeds benefit the WYDOT Employee Relief Fund

The Relief Fund is a benefit available to ALL WYDOT employees. January 2017

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Photo courtes

y of Chase Cim

burek

Photo courtesy of Chase Cimburek

Outdoors

Photo courtesy of Shannon Ferree

Chase Cimburek from Rock Springs Construction harvested these two animals when hunting in late September. The deer was taken in the Wyoming range, 9 miles from the road and the elk was taken in the Wind River Mountains, 14 miles from his truck. Cimburek used the same rifle, a Sako A7M chambered in .300 Win. Mag. for both.

Photo: Brenda Bosler

Shannon Ferree of Compliance and Investigation with her 2016 antelope. She loves hunting and making memories with her family. From left: Shannon, Waylon, Bailey and husband Cliff.

Brenda Boslerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A beautiful painted sunset sky as seen from for Driver Serfront door Oct. 26 in Torrington. Bosler works Lusk. and gton vices in Torrin Baylor Beers, son of Cod y Beers, with his trophy whitetailed buck deer harves ted in the Big Horn Basin.

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January 2017

Photo: Dan McAfee Photo: Amy Lambert

Fall view of Meadowlark Lake, between Ten Sleep and Buffalo near US 16, by Worland Resident Engineer Dan McAfee.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Blakesley

with his dog hunting pheasants Caleb Lambert, 9, in Right of t er mb son of Amy La Ace. Caleb is the Way.

Photo: Cody Beers

nstruction crew th the Jackson Co Calvin Williams wi on a separate d an e yoming moos with his 2016 W , the antelope. hunt this season

Photo: Calvin Williams

Photo courtesy of Calv

in Williams

Thermopolis Mechanics crew member Brandon Blakesley with his nice six-point bull elk.

January 2017

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Open an IRA with as little as $50 and make contributions throughout the year, all-the-while earning on what you save. And some IRA earnings are tax-deductable too!* We’ll work with you to discover the IRA account right for you and your family. We’d all love that new big screen TV with the money received from a tax refund, but putting that extra money into your financial well-being is a good option to consider.

We’re WyHy – We’re with You – We’re Wyoming Visit WyHy.org/IRA or contact us at 307-638-4200 today. *Consult your tax advisor to learn more. Federally Insured by NCUA.

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January 2017

Break Time Check your answers online at: employees.dot.state.wy.us, or if not able to access the employee site: www.dot. state.wy.us/home/engineering_technical_programs/manuals_publications/ interchange.html. See if you can find the following 25 words hidden in the grid to the right: Albany Below zero Blustery Carlile Dayton Eden Ethete Fireside Flannel Frigid Frostbitten Gillette Grass Creek Hoback Junction Hypothermic McKinnon Numb Powder River Shivering Skiing Snowboarding Whistle Wintertime Woolen Wheatland

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L A A E U X U C U J S G E H O I V I U F S B R B D A Z B O H M B I A H N N T

K WN Q E A V C Z P K O L I M R S S H Y P O T H E R M I C S L Y Z Z X A C B V C B D N E M Y D F C I R J C F L V A T S G L T R J MMW I N K O O P L Q V Z O A W S X H D Y F Z G A H E Y S N T F R G E E HW I Q J O D T E P R Q F R A V S B T G Y I B O Z L A P B A T B C C D S H I V E R I N G K H L L I M M T T U N V OW P X E Y A Z Q S H T I U J V K WN L X MN N N U E V F WG X N Y H Z I A D O I N J N K O A L P MQ N R O W V X W Y X L Y L Z S A T B U B J A K B F L C M B N D O E G O A W L X M Y N Z O A A P B Q A B C DM J D K E L F NMG N R V O K C W P X Q Y R Z Y S Y D G B H J O I C J D K E L F Q I T MU N U L V OW P X Q Y R N F C G D H N D I E W J F K G G S M F T N U C V F R E E Z I T C F R D U E U T F V GWH X P E Q I R F S Y R I U F V WH K B L G R C R DM E O R F N G N A O I P E Q B R C S N T D U K C L D T D S E M F N G G O H W P X S Q Y E I R Z S I A T B N I U B J M C K D D L D E M F T L N U I O V P W E Q X R Y C B W C T X D Y E Z F A G B H C P J R K Q L R M S N T O U P N X E Y B Z C A Z B Y C X DW E T L J M K N L O L P Q QW R E Z U A I B O C P D Z E X F C G B O G R A S S C R E E K P C Q X R Y E Z W A M B N C B D V E

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