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(Iowa) – With more travelers on the road during the summer, the Iowa DOT has decided to expand the Highway Helper program to Sioux City.
"The Highway Helper program is a safety service patrol. If motorists run out of fuel, need a tire changed, or if you're stranded on the side of the road, those are some of the things that they do," says Ashley Hochberger, traffic management center and Highway Helper program manager.
Highway Helper is free for the traveling public, helping along the state's major roadways. The program is in several of Iowa's major cities including Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, and the Quad Cities.
"It is an opportunity; the Highway Helper can help alleviate some of the workload from our law enforcement partners and our maintenance personnel," said Hochberger. "So they can do a lot of things that those partners maybe would have gone out and done, but now they don't have to—they can go back to some higher priority things."
She told WHO Radio News that Highway Helper is always looking to expand when there is a demand for the service.
"In the Des Moines Area, there is a Highway Helper tow truck. One of the main goals is quick clearance, so that way it gets the lanes back open," Hochberger said.
The tow truck service began about two months ago in the Des Moines Metro. The service won't tow motorists all the way to an auto shop, but will help move a stalled vehicle out of busy roadways. Hochberger says that if the Des Moines Towing project is successful and proves a demand, they hope to expand towing to the other Highway Helper cities.
The program is a contracted service through the company Autobase. Several trucks patrol from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. To access these services, contact 911.