HANNIBAL, MO. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation is gearing up for the storm that is expected to start Thursday morning.

Kirk Youngblood has battled his share of winter storms. He said this one is like many of them before - get the trucks loaded, make sure the equipment is working and be ready to work a 12-hour shift once the snow makes its way into the area.

What's the biggest concern for MoDOT drivers when plowing show? Cars and trucks on the highway near the snow plows.

"The main thing is if the public, the travelling public, will give us room to do our job and stay out of our way and give us plenty of room to get the snow removed off the highways. What I see out here is if people would just slow down, I mean slow down to 25 or 30 mile an hour, give yourself more time to get to a location, it seems to be the biggest thing I see out here," Youngblood said.

District engineer Paula Gough has been in touch with MoDOT reps from across the state. The plan is now in place for other MoDOT districts to help if one part of the state gets slammed with a storm while another part stays in the clear.

"But you mentioned having assistance from other parts of the state, that is something MoDOT has started doing over the last few years, is not only looking at winter operations from a regional perspective but also a statewide perspective and we're able to draw in help from other parts of the state," Gough said.

In the northeast district, MoDOT will dispatch 169 trucks across the 17 county area. Drivers also will man tractors equipped with snow plows and road graders to make sure roads are passable and safe for the public.

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