Special equipment used

COAL GROVE — Motorists driving on the exit ramp from U.S. 52 onto Marion Pike in Coal Grove may have noticed a massive cleanup of the right of way on the left side of the exit.

“They have been working to clear up that area simply because it has been somewhat overgrown and swampy in the summertime,” said Kathleen Fuller, Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 public information officer. “It is a very deep area and there are some drains and they need to keep it cleared out.”

Making that job easier has happened since the county ODOT garage recently acquired a new piece of equipment, a Bobcat Skid-Steer, which is able to maneuver that uneven and steep terrain.

“It’s a Bobcat with a cutter that makes it much easier to get in in a much more safe manner for employees,” Fuller said. “It cuts things down very efficiently, right down to the soil.”

ODOT has to keep areas such as that right of way clear of overgrowth and scrub to prevent sight issues and to keep young trees from toppling over during heavy snows and ice storms.

“We don’t want anything to impede a person traveling or have signs covered up,” Fuller said. “If there is a tree that has a canopy over the roadway, you could have problems with ice. Usually in late fall we go in and do some clearing out.”