CHAMP trucks carry extra fuel, air compressors, special push bumpers to move vehicles out of travel lanes, and can activate an electronic message board with the touch of a button. Drivers can request assistance or report a maintenance issue by dialing 511. (PHOTO/GDOT)
Motorists in Northeast Georgia now have extra help on the road. The state’s new Coordinated Highway Assistance & Maintenance Program (CHAMP) began its phased launch Tuesday on I-85. CHAMP crews now patrol the interstate from State Route 20 at Exit 115 all the way to the South Carolina border.
Similar to the Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) program in metro Atlanta, CHAMP will offer roadside assistance with a variety of travel-related issues including flat tires, car break downs, debris removal, auto accidents and more. Motorists who need help or see problems on the road should dial 511. Callers will be asked to provide operators with their location, milepost or nearest exit number to assist CHAMPs in locating the incident.
“What makes CHAMP different from HERO and other similar patrols across the country is that it specifically addresses highway maintenance,” State Traffic Engineer Andrew Heath says. “CHAMP operators are Georgia DOT’s eyes on the road. By proactively responding to maintenance issues, as well as addressing incident clearance and motorist assistance, they will make Georgia highways safer.”
Sgt. Auston Allen with the Georgia State Patrol agrees. “They can assist us in taking care of those minor problems which allows us to take care of traffic investigation.”
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans to roll out the service to five other districts in the state by this May. The program is paid for with state transportation funds.
“This is a complimentary public service made possible by Georgia’s Transportation Funding Act of 2015. CHAMP would not be feasible without those funds,” says Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry.
The next CHAMP rollout is scheduled for Feb. 21 in East Central Georgia. When fully operational, CHAMP will be staffed by 48 full-time operators and 18 full-time dispatchers. A total of 51 branded, custom-fitted CHAMP trucks will patrol 16 different routes on interstates (except short stretches of I-24 and I-59) seven days a week, 16 hours a day, and will be on call the other eight hours.
Operators do not accept tips or payment from the public.
For more information about CHAMP, including a route map and statewide implementation schedule, visit www.dot.ga.gov/CHAMP.
