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KDOT Testing Out Two New Tow Plows For Heavy Snowfall

MoDOT, flickr Creative Commons

The Kansas Department of Transportation has added new technology to help clear highways of snow this winter.

Those living in Olathe and Colby, Kansas will see large "tow plows" after heavy snowfall this winter. The 26-foot-long vehicles are being tested in these communities before it’s decided whether to implement them statewide.

A video of the vehicle driving on a four-lane highway shows the truck swinging a large plow over to the next lane, covering twice the amount of area in a single pass.

“KDOT will assess the performance of the tow plow in these two different environments, and that will help determine where future units will provide the best results,” said Clay Adams, KDOT bureau chief of maintenance. “Other states have been operating tow plows for several years, and it has been proven to be an effective tool in snow fighting.”

To experiment with the equipment, KDOT chose Olathe for its heavy traffic, and Colby for its long stretches of highway and potential for high winds.

It’s not certain that the tow plows will be used in Wichita.

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Follow Sean Sandefur on Twitter @SeanSandefur

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