ROAD MAINTENANCE - Clearing Two Lanes at Once

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announces a new tool in the battle to remove snow quickly and economically from BC's highways. The tool is a standard plough truck towing a plough trailer. The machine can be operated by the lone driver, clear 2 1/2 lanes at a single pass and spread traction materials at the same time.

This video shows the combination in action as demonstrated by road maintenance contractor Emcon Services. It is definitely one thing that you are going to have to be content to follow as there will not be many opportunities to pass it safely!

Tow plough

I worked at highways maintenace for just under thirty years and operated a large variety of snow removal equipment. Emcon has this unit in our area and I am waiting to see where they are going to have limit its use on our highways because of the steep grades, some as much as 8%.

Can't imagine this unit trying to plough these grades with all that iron on the ground and still maintain a decent plow speed. I don't doubt the truck will have to have weight on board so it can maintain traction, thus slowing the plow speeds even more. If they load both units up with sand, then it will be slow.

I hope management are smart enough to keep it out of the high volume traffic times or I can guess what might happen. Impatient drivers wanting to pass, which we have plenty of in this area.

Road Maintenance