February 10th, 2010 – Jefferson City Missouri – The Missouri Department of Transportation’s George Kopp P.E. CADD Services Engineer recently announced the completion of the 78 Station Network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). This Real Time Network (RTN) operates 24 hours a day 365 days a year to provide real time or post processed corrections to professionals requiring accurate GNSS positional data. The Missouri RTN CORS covers the entire state of Missouri including the metropolitan areas of Saint Louis and Kansas City by reaching into Illinois and Kansas. Partnering with MoDOT in Kansas are Shafer Kline & Warren in Olathe and Kansas University in Lawrence. Other partners include, Saint Clair County in Belleville Illinois and in Seiler Instrument Company with bases in Saint Louis County and Belton Missouri.
The data is available at no charge to registered users with a user name and password. To obtain access to the system, visit the MoDOT GNSS Web server at http://gpsweb.modot.mo.gov/. For more information email Kevin Decker P.L.S. at kevin.decker@modot.mo.gov.
The Network is built on Trimble Navigation CORS & VRS Infrastructure Technology. All 78 CORS stations are NetR5 Receivers with Zephyr Geodetic II Antennas with full GPS & Glonass tracking. The CORS stations were built by the contractor; Seiler Instrument & Mfg. Company Inc. who built the network in several phases starting in April 2008. The Software running the Network is the new Trimble VRS3Net Software and is capable of supporting hundreds of users. 72 of the 78 CORS stations are constructed with concrete pedestals going 10 feet into the ground and were constructed by Seiler Instrument. The CORS stations are positioned using existing National Geodetic Survey (NGS) CORS stations and several MoDOT stations are already part of the NGS National CORS. Additional Stations are being submitted to NGS each month with the goal of having all stations accepted in 2010.
The Missouri RTN CORS will support the Infrastructure needs of professionals including Engineers, Surveyors, Mapping GIS, Utilities, Construction & Heavy Highway, Environmental and Agriculture businesses.
Photo caption: Tom Seiler of Seiler Instruments (left) and George Kopp P.E., CADD Services Engineer with MoDOT with the completion plaque..