BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Transportation announced state-of-the-art tow plows are coming to the I-290 and I-990 in the towns of Amherst and Tonawanda this winter.
The tow plows attach as trailers to the back of plow trucks and allow two travel lanes to be cleared at once. You can see how tow plows operate here.
The New York State Department of Transportation has one of the finest and best equipped snow fighting forces in the nation and we will use every tool in our arsenal to help keep motorists safe this winter. Tow plows allow us to clear two lanes at once and using them on Interstate 290 and Interstate 990 will help keep people and commerce moving on these two vitally important roads when harsh weather strikes.
- New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez
NYSDOT said there are 52 tow plows in New York State and they have previously been deployed on the following Western New York roadways:
- Interstate 86 in Chautauqua County
- NY Route 400 in southern Erie County
- Interstate 190 and LaSalle Expressway in Niagara County
According to NYSDOT, benefits of tow plows include:
- Increased efficiency: by allowing one plow truck operator to clear two lanes with one pass of the truck, snow removal becomes faster and more efficient.
- Improved safety: removing snow from two lanes at a time provides more clear travel lanes for motorists to use.
- Environmental benefits: it takes the same amount of fuel to plow two travel lanes with a tow plow as it does to plow one travel lane with a traditional plow.
The tow plows travel at about 35 MPH and NYSDOT advises motorists to steer clear and give the operator time to do their work.
