New tractors delivered to keep county’s roads safe

The new tractors are replacing the old fleet, which has worked in excess of 52,000 hours. During the spring and summer these will cut over 5 million square metres of vegetation. In autumn and winter they will clean the roads, to help them function more smoothly. The new fleet will also be used as a backup to operate salt spreaders, snow blowers and ploughs.

Nigel Tomlinson, Business Director at Skanska, commented: “It is important that we are able to keep the roads across Devon safe and keep disruption to a minimum, especially during the winter months and when we experience adverse weather conditions.

“To do this we need to invest in the right equipment and these tractors are a very important part of this Devon Highways maintenance contract.”

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management commented: “This highways maintenance contract covers 8,000 miles, the longest network in England. It includes hundreds of miles of narrow country lanes, so it is vital that we have a reliable fleet to keep the roads running, as they can work in conditions and locations where traditional maintenance vehicles cannot access.”

During the winter months, the tractors will clean and prepare over 1.5 million metres of carriageway ready for surface dressing work to be carried out in spring.