Safety Service Patrols are Saviors in the Megaprojects Construction Zone

It’s lunchtime, and a car is broken down on the shoulder of I-495 just north of Tysons Corner where the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes construction dominates the area. Car 428, which is really a truck in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Safety Service Patrol, gets the call to respond to what started as a flat tire and now the engine doesn’t start.

"I’m 10-17 and in route," responds Mike Musgrove, a safety service patrol driver that recently signed on with a crew of Transportation Management Plan (TMP) drivers that are responsible for patrolling the Virginia Megaprojects corridor along the Capital Beltway. These special safety service patrol drivers stick to the Megaprojects corridor to clear any cars that could possibly block traffic and cause a traffic jam exasperating an already congested construction zone.

The dispatcher indicated the car was on the Outer Loop near the Dulles Toll Road so Musgrove headed out to investigate. "It’s hard to say where he might be at this point, most times the drivers aren’t exactly sure where they’re located," he said.
Musgrove spotted the car, pulled up behind it and got out, uncomfortably close to the cars speeding by on the Capital Beltway.  After giving the car battery a charge with jumper cables, Musgrove got back in the driver’s seat and waited for the car to pull away, only to see it pull over again with a tire that was wobbly. Finally Musgrove directed the driver to a nearby gas station, following him with the flashing lights on for caution.

"There’s a Shell station on the right, I’ll be behind you," he tells the driver.

The Virginia Megaprojects are major road and rail construction projects in northern Virginia, and a new fleet of Safety Service Patrol drivers recently began patrolling these interstate work zones to help disabled vehicles. This is a mandated part of any federally supported interstate construction program that focuses making life easier during construction.

Three of the Safety Service Patrol routes are along I-495, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road, where the HOT Lanes and Dulles Metrorail projects are under construction. They also patrol the I-95 widening project south of Springfield.
There are other ways Virginia Megaprojects aims to spark a change in commuter behavior to eventually reduce the number of cars on the road.

OmniRide’s Tysons Express launched in November to get commuters from Woodbridge to Tysons Corner on a comfortable ride in a roomy bus. Once commuters get to Tysons Corner, they can use the Fairfax Connector midday shuttle called the Tysons Connector to run errands or go out for lunch.

The Megaprojects Employer Solutions Team connects businesses with free services to provide alternative commuting plans for their workforce. New travelers information display televisions are active in Tysons Corner Center to shows shoppers live traffic conditions, bus routes and Metro information.

There are three Megaprojects Safety Service Patrol drivers on duty at one time on two shifts from 4 a.m. until 12 a.m. Sometimes there is also one VDOT Safety Service Patrol driver on duty, patrolling sections in that corridor that are not covered by the Megaprojects drivers.

The drivers rely on visual contact and the dispatcher, which gets the report by seeing the disabled vehicles on the monitors at the Traffic Operations Center, or from drivers calling in. The drivers are constantly scanning the road for anything out of the ordinary. Even when they are in-route to another call, they must keep looking.

"You see a motorist standing outside his car, that becomes your primary concern," Musgrove said.  All the trucks are outfitted with battery chargers, extra fuel, tools and safety equipment to keep the other drivers aware when they are on the side of the road.

The most common problem is disabled vehicles, flat tires, empty gas tanks or mechanical malfunctions. Safety Service Patrol drivers also look for debris on the road, potholes and traffic signal malfunctions. Many times, drivers are just pulled over to talk on the cell phone. Every incident is logged in, including license plate numbers. In one week in February, there were 278 incidents.

With cars speeding by, limited shoulder room and panicked drivers, things get very tense at times.

"If you get excited out here, everything gets complicated," he said. Musgrove has been called a savior or guardian angel a number of times.

One driver recently wrote to his supervisor: “Mike Musgrove was my savior… he came really fast and took care of my problem, and I offered him money but he didn’t accept it. I call it excellent service, people like Mike deserve a medal.”
Musgrove appreciated the recognition.

“It makes you feel like you’re actually doing something out here,” he said.

To report roadside emergencies, call #77