Compact Equipment Attachments Help Clean Snow from Bridges

An angle broom attachment on a skid-steer loader easily cleans light snowfalls from bridges.

When it comes to removing snow and ice from bridges, there are some places that large equipment just can’t get to or clear efficiently, such as pedestrian areas or along a bridge’s concrete walls and on boulevards. In these situations, compact equipment excels at snow removal in pedestrian areas and casting snow if storage is available in adjacent boulevards or right-of-ways. Compact equipment also excels in snow removal when no storage capacity exists in the median.

The best type of compact equipment for clearing snow on a bridge depends on the jobsite. If a pedestrian area on a bridge is narrow, a compact skid-steer loader, such as the Bobcat® S70 with a width of 36 inches, will efficiently remove the snow. For larger pedestrian areas or for casting or hauling snow, a large skid-steer loader, such as the Bobcat S330, can handle deep snowfalls.

The best attachment depends on the snow removal task at hand. A snow blade works the same as a snow plow mounted on a pickup or dump truck, with the benefit that the compact machine gets the blade where the trucks can’t reach. Snow blades are used to move snow to the side. A snow V-blade has the ability to push snow to one side or push snow to both sides at the same time. Pushing snow to both sides is beneficial when snow storage capacity is limited.

Angle brooms are the best solution for light snowfalls to keep ice from forming on pedestrian areas. If ice or compacted snow has already formed in pedestrian areas, a scraper will break up the snow and ice to leave a smooth and clean surface.

Snow buckets have a higher back to push the snow and a large capacity to move large amounts of snow to either storage areas or to load on trucks. Snow pushers move large amounts of snow. The Bobcat snow pusher has a free-floating blade that protects surfaces such as pavers or decorative concrete on pedestrian areas. The free-floating blade keeps the moldboard in contact with the surface to prevent materials from becoming damaged on uneven surfaces.

Snow blowers are effective for casting and hauling operations. Compact loaders operate in shoulders and medians to allow traffic flow to be unhindered. The snow blower can be used to make more space for new snow by casting it to storage areas. Bobcat manufactures a truck-loading chute for the snow blower to completely remove snow from the bridge. A compact loader with a snow blower attachment also removes snow in tight situations such as around light poles, mileposts, crash barriers and guard rails much more effectively than larger equipment.

When used on compact equipment, snowblowers can load snow directly on to trucks for removal

After snow is cleared, salt or sand often needs to be placed on bridge pedestrian areas. There are two types of spreader attachments — one is mounted on the front of compact equipment and the other is mounted on the rear. The rear spreader is available for use on the Toolcat™ utility work machine. Using a rear spreader on a Toolcat 5600 accomplishes two tasks at the same time, eliminating the need for multiple passes. A snowblower, snow blade or angle blade in the front of the machine clears the snow while the spreader in the rear places sand or salt.

Snow removal on bridges does not have to be difficult. By enlisting compact equipment and the attachments available for them, snow can be quickly removed from bridges.