Caltrans apparatus clears more snow at one time

By Barbara Barte Osborn and Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee

A new snowplow that can remove snow from two lanes at once should speed up the clearing of Interstate 80 over Donner Summit for skiers and other travelers.

Caltrans began using the new plow Thursday on I-80 from Kingvale to Truckee, said Rochelle Jenkins, Caltrans public information officer, in a news release.

The tow plow allows more snow to be removed at once. Photo/Provided

State Department of Transportation snow-removal employees demonstrated the new $80,000 “tow-plow” Wednesday at Caltrans’ Kingvale Maintenance Station near the summit.

“The tow-plow is snow removal equipment never seen in California,” Jenkins said in the release.

The new equipment will plow 28 feet of roadway at a time, whereas regular plows have a removal width of 10 feet to 12 feet, according to the release. Pulled by a vehicle designed for the purpose, the tow-plow can be activated to maneuver to the right of the vehicle, allowing for two lanes to be plowed at once.