ADOT awards long-time workers from Winslow

<i>Photo by Jeff Pope</i>
<b>Gary Warren (left), Marcelo Vargas and Frances McCauley have donned the orange for ADOT for a combined 90 years.</b>

<i>Photo by Jeff Pope</i> <b>Gary Warren (left), Marcelo Vargas and Frances McCauley have donned the orange for ADOT for a combined 90 years.</b>

The men and women of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) don't always receive recognition for the multitude of services they perform. They probably receive more complaints about the traffic jams caused by construction.

Last Wednesday, three ADOT workers from the Maintenance Yard in Winslow were honored for their combined 90 years of dedication to Arizona's roads.

Frances McCauley has spent 25 years in Winslow as Supervisor. She has three additional years with ADOT.

McCauley, along with Tech III Gary Warren, 30 years, and Safety Officer Marcelo Vargas, 35 years, received plaques and presents for their long-time service with ADOT.

The three are part of a staff of 15 working out of Winslow that maintain about 600 miles of highways. The crew also assists local and state law enforcement in traffic control as well as other emergency assistance. They also keep the roads plowed in winter.

Warren began with engineering and survey teams before moving to construction. The I-40 bypass in Winslow was one of the projects on which he worked.

The biggest change he's seen in his 30 years working the roads is in the technology available at his fingertips.

"Trucks even have computers in them now," he said. "It's all automaticS pretty much all pushing buttons."

He added that ADOT must be more environmentally and archeologically conscious than when he started.

Vargas said I-40 was barely past Meteor Crater when he began in 1970. He also worked construction and also managed the Rest Area near the crater that is currently being remodeled. Today, he is responsible for the care of the vehicles used by the Maintenance Yard. Vargas has also been in charge of safety since 1984.

The life-long Winslow resident said his job satisfaction comes from, "keeping the roads safe for the public so they can get from point A to B without hassle."

Even at 62-years old, Vargas said he has no plans to retire from serving the state and its citizens any time soon.

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