County Streets Get Flat Fast

Posted on: Sep 10th, 2009 | Announcements

If you see new powerful vehicles on the streets in the next few weeks and are stunned by their scale, speed and fuel efficiency, then you are probably looking at Mobile County?s newest fleet of motor graders. ?It?s all about blade pull,? said Richard Crist, Public Works assistant superintendent. ?The motor graders are six-wheel drive, which makes them 30 percent more productive than previous models.? That means roads get flat fast. The investment in the John Deere 672G motor grader also steps the county up to a ?greener? quality of machines. The new grader has higher fuel efficiency and offers a 65 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions over the county?s 12-year-old motor graders, headed to retirement now. The graders' high-tech credentials also include a satellite link that tracks movement of the machine, and monitors service intervals and system functions. The link will alert Mobile County to maintenance needs that can prevent catastrophic engine or parts failures. Safety features are advanced as well: a rear-view camera is activated when the operator shifts to reverse, giving a clear view directly behind the grader. ?This is a significant asset for our operators,? said Joe Ruffer, Public Works director. ?An operator used to have to climb down from the cab to view the blind spot at the back of the machine.? An imposing 10 feet tall and 35 feet long, the machines aren?t as lumbering as they look: they can travel from one end of the county to the other in less than two hours at a pedal-to-the-metal speed of 30 miles per hour. They also feature a front-end bulldozer blade that can be deployed for high-speed debris removal, bringing to seven the number of motor graders that can clear roadways after disasters. Each grader cost $227,000, or a total of $1.1 million. The savings to the county in the cost difference between the low bidder, Beard Equipment Company of Mobile, and the next lowest bidder, was $50,000. ###