Members of the Kane County Transportation Committee in front of one of the six new snow plow trucks purchased by KDOT

Kane County Upgrades Plow Fleet with Safety and Technology Enhancements

Kane County Connects Staff 8/4/2025 7:00AM

In 2024, the Kane County Board approved the purchase of six new plow trucks to replace aging vehicles that had met the County's replacement criteria based on age, mileage, reliability, and maintenance costs. Typically replaced every 13 to 15 years, one of the new Kenworth trucks was parked outside the Kane County Government Center, where members of the Kane County Board's Transportation Committee had the chance to inspect it up close back in July.

The upgraded vehicles feature improved safety elements, including two cameras, one at the rear and a side-mounted wing camera, to help reduce accidents, particularly while driving in reverse, a common time for incidents. The plows also now include green strobe lights, made legal by a recent state law, which improve visibility up to 1.5 miles.

KDOT TRUCK NEW 2025 2.jpg
KDOT TRUCK NEW 2025 1.jpg

To further enhance winter road safety, Kane County Division of Transportation (KDOT) has implemented dashboard cameras with GPS tracking and livestream capabilities to monitor both road conditions and plow performance. Mini weather stations installed throughout the County provide real-time data on wind speed and temperature to predict road surface conditions.

KDOT is responsible for maintaining nearly 800 lane miles across 21 routes. A full snow removal pass typically takes about two hours. From late October through March, the Maintenance Department operates 28 plow trucks, 3 anti-icing trucks and a snow blower. Anti-icing operations involve applying liquid salt brine to hills, curves, and bridge decks ahead of storms.

The County also uses a more effective, less corrosive rock salt mix and installs 8 miles of snow fence each year.

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