KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Expect traffic congestion Thursday along major Missouri roads while the Missouri Department of Transporation conducts its annual winter weather drill.
"We'll be getting our trucks ready and we'll be running our routes to make sure our employees are familiar with the routes that they will plow, and we'll be testing our equipment to make sure it's in good working order before the winter weather hits," said Matt Killion, assistant district engineer for MODOT.
The drill is expected to start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and should be finished about 3 p.m.
All winter operations and the department's emergency communications system will be tested while crews respond to a simulated forecast of snow for the entire state.
This year's test comes as MODOT continues to need more snow plow operators.
According to a press release, the department has approximately 3,000 employees across the state involved in work to clear roads, but they still need several hundred more employees.
Less than a third of current snow plow operators have three years of experience.
"We'll always move and shift our employees around depending where the storm is, but if we have a statewide event that impacts the entire state, it's gonna be a challenge to get the roads clear," Killion said.
MODOT is looking for snow plow operators who are willing to work 12-hour shifts.
Applicants must be 18-years-old and pass criminal and drug screenings.
For more information go to MODOT website.
