Highway workers have had a chance to use a tow plow to clear Interstate 29 near Flandreau after recent snows.
The plow, borrowed from Yankton County, allows a maintenance driver to clear both lanes of the interstate or the driving lane and the shoulder in one pass.
“It gets the interstate open a lot faster,” said Josh Weber, highway maintenance worker while taking a break Friday from pushing snow.
A tow plow is pulled by a snowplow truck and, along with the front plow on the truck, can clear widths up to 25 feet. The tow plow has blades that can come down on either side or both sides at the same time. It is controlled by the driver inside of the truck cab.
Highway workers haven’t been using the wider plow during peak travel times because people are not able to pass if both blades are down. An electronic highway sign warned motorists that the tow plow was in use in the recent snows.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation relocated the tow plow based in Junction City/Yankton to Flandreau to get more operators trained on its use during winter snows.
“The tow plow has been proven to save wear and tear on equipment, and save on fuel and labor costs. It also allows crews to get the roadway cleared more quickly and efficiently,” said Craig Smith, Mitchell region engineer.
When the driver deploys the bi-directional tow plow, the wheels turn as much as 30 degrees in either direction, which causes the tow-plow to steer to the right or left of the truck. The tow plow works similarly to a wing plow but with a much greater reach to clear more surface area.
The department’s tow plows will have different set-ups for material that can be used to more effectively treat road surfaces, the state said. The two different set-ups the state will be using can apply a direct liquid spray or a pre-wetting salt application.
