Iowa will try 'tow plow' this winter

A new kind of snow plow to be tested this winter on roadways in Des Moines, Waterloo and Sioux City are sure to get a few double-takes from motorists.

The Iowa Department of Transportation will introduce its first three ‘tow plows' to the public Wednesday in Grimes. As the name implies, they are pulled behind the plow truck instead of pushed in front of it.

The DOT owns about 900 snow plows. It is buying three of the $70,000 plows because they can clear two lanes of travel, or about 25 feet, with a single pass.

“We will need one less truck and one less person out on the road,” DOT Winter Operations Administrator Annette Dunn said.

The idea for the tow plow came from a Missouri Department of Transportation employee who was familiar from his farming background with farm equipment that operated in a similar fashion. The Missouri DOT worked with the employee to develop the plow, and now owns 60 tow plows.

The Missouri DOT has reported productivity savings of 10-30 percent in labor, truck and fuel expenses, Dunn said.

One of many things the DOT will be exploring is the different possible applications for the truck. The state initially wants to try out the tow plows on roadways with three or more lanes.

Utilizing tow plows on narrower roadways isn't out of the question, Dunn said, adding that Missouri uses them on some two-lane expressways.

Wednesday's tow-plow roll-out in Grimes is intended partly to inform the public about how the tow plows work, so that motorists don't endanger themselves or the plow drivers, Dunn said.

One advantage of tow-plows is that the 26-foot-long blade can be pulled in when needed.

Iowa is buying the tow plows from Viking-Cives Midwest Inc. in Missouri.

Viking-Cives' web site said its towplows are already in use by the Minnesota and Missouri departments of transportation. Indiana began testing them this year on I-469 in the Fort Wayne area.