Killen, Sterling earn Road Master certification

At last week's City Council meeting, heavy equipment operators Eric Killen and Aman Sterling received Road Scholar certificates. The Road Scholar Program is a way for local road professionals in Idaho to be recognized for successfully completing advanced training designed to increase participants' knowledge of road safety, management, and advanced technologies.

The coursework also exposes those who attend to a wide variety of other, relevant transportation topics.

Of the over 32,000 miles of highways, roads, and streets in Idaho, cities, counties and highway districts are responsible for the majority of road-miles within the state. The transportation professionals who are constructing and maintaining these roadways need to keep up-to-date on the new technologies and skills required to construct and maintain effective highways.

Eight one-day classes are mandatory, many of them having extensive testing requirements afterwards. Participants must receive a score of 80 percent or higher on exams to receive a Road Master certificate. Two elective classes that range from advanced maintenance math to retro-reflectivity for signs are also required. All of the courses must be completed with a passing grade within four years of starting the program or be taken again.

Both Killen and Sterling emphasized how the program will make them more efficient at their jobs, and appreciated meeting with other transportation professionals from around the state. Sterling and Killen are Coeur d'Alene's first Road Masters. Interested professionals can apply for the Road Master program once they have received their Road Scholar certificates.

For information on the Road Scholar and Road Master program, call 1-800-259-6841. For Coeur d'Alene street information, call the Street Maintenance Information line, 769-2233.