Highway Helper
The Highway Helper Program provides incident response and assistance to stranded motorists on the roadways in the Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, and the Quad Cities metros. Keeping traffic moving so commuters have reliable drive times and reducing backups that can lead to dangerous conditions is a goal of the program. The free service assists motorists with flat tires, jump starts, and fuel to quickly clear stalled vehicles which can cause backups. If more extensive repairs are needed, they can transport a driver to a safe location where the driver can make arrangements to have their vehicles moved from the roadway. In addition, Highway Helpers remove debris from the roadway and assist first responders by providing additional traffic control to help reduce crashes that often occur near the original crash site.
Highway Helper services are available:
- Des Moines
- Three vehicles patrol I-235, I-80/35, Iowa 5/U.S. 65 bypass, and I-35 between Ankeny and Ames.
- Service times - 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
- One truck running in the Des Moines Metro area on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Cedar Rapids/Iowa City
- Two vehicles are focused on patrolling I-80 and I-380 corridor. One additional vehicle is on call for incidents in the I-80/380 construction project.
- Services times - 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
- Council Bluffs
- Two vehicles focused on patrolling I-29 and I-80.
- Services times - 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
- Quad Cities
- Two trucks patrolling I-80, I-280, and the I-74 construction zone
- Service times - 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays
The public can request Highway Helper by calling 911.