Transportation departments coordinate to keep supply chain open for central United States

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Members of the Mid-American Association of State Transportation Officers (MAASTO) will coordinate their strategies to keep supply chains open for the transportation of critical goods and services intact, the group’s member said Tuesday.

“Meeting the challenge of the pandemic will require that we can get vital goods like food and medical supplies where they are needed,” said MAASTO President Craig Thompson, who is secretary designee of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “These supply chains don’t stop at state borders. We need to be working with other states, especially our neighbors in the middle of the country, to make sure we do what is needed to remove barriers that would impede response and recovery.”

The group’s member states will work together to permit overweight freight shipments, thus making shipping supplies easier; ease commercial driver license regulations to ensure the maximum number of drivers are available to transport freight; limit public exposure at motor vehicle service centers, and to issue guidance on construction projects so contractors can continue to build while keeping construction workers safe.

“As departments of transportation around the country work to keep the nation’s transportation system functional, it is now more important than ever that we reach out and collaborate and learn from each other. That is why regional coordination and leadership from MAASTO is so helpful,” said Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation. “Our weekly calls with the MAASTO states are helping each state better serve the public while keeping safety as a primary objective,” McKenna said.

Members said the necessity of working together to keep the supply chain open was a responsibility of the states and a requirement for recovery after the pandemic is over.