ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — Northern Erie County is getting new equipment this winter to clear lanes of snow faster.
Tow plows will be used to clear two lanes at once in northern Erie County according to an announcement from New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez on Tuesday. They will be used to clear I-290 and I-990 in Amherst and Tonawanda.
"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," Dominguez said. "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."
Tow plows attach as a trailer to traditional plows and are hydraulically swung out to the side to clear the lane to the right of a plow.
These plows have a great range of motion and are better to control than wing plows, according to NYSDOT. Two cameras are used to reduce blind spots.
Drivers should never pass a tow plow when it is clearing the road.
In addition to the safety benefits and efficiency, these plows also have environmental benefits by clearing more lanes using fewer vehicles and the same amount of fuel used to plow one lane.
These plows have been used to in Western New York long I-86 in Chautauqua County, NY Route 400 in southern Erie County, I-190 and the LaSalle Expressway in Niagara County.