WASHINGTON — As D.C. continues to clean up from the storm, residents may see some interesting pieces of equipment doing the job around town.
The front loader swallows the snow, while an attached blower dumps a constant stream of gray slush into a nearby truck. It’s the D.C. Department of Transportation’s newest toy, borrowed to clear curbs and sidewalks.
“It’s an amazing piece of equipment to see in action,” Terry Owens, a DDOT spokesman, says.
The giant snowblower is operated by contractors from Boston.
“You’ve heard about the snow melter at RFK. All of that is to get the District up and running,” Owens said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said two snow melters — on loan from Indiana — are handling the snow collected by tractors.
“Our crews are making good progress,” Owens said. “They are working through the night, on 12-hour shifts. We’re down to asphalt on all major arteries and are starting to tackle the hardest to reach streets.”
Another one of these machines was spotted in the city Wednesday morning. Watch video of that device below.
