NY highway boss builds no-cost pole remover, wins national award
Headline by Prism · from 1 report
A New York highway department superintendent won a national award for building a zero-cost snow-fence pole remover from scrap materials.
The Times of IndiaThe brief
Written by software from the 1 report below.
- Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski invented a tool using a repurposed golf-cart wheel and scrap metal to remove frozen snow-fence poles.
- This homemade device eliminates the need for manual pulling and prevents back strain among workers.
- The innovation reduced the time required for pole removal from three weeks to approximately one and a half weeks.
- The Federal Highway Administration presented the tool with its 2026 Pioneer Award for improving safety and productivity through simple, cost-effective design.
What to watch next
- Potential adoption of the pole remover design by other highway departments
- Continued refinement of local maintenance processes through worker-led innovation
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Who said what
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Mike Zaleski
Riverhead Highway Superintendent
1 quote · 1 outlet
“It’s strenuous, guys were getting hurt, it takes forever,”
In the article
…hours and across a large area. Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski saw the effect on his crew. Workers experienced back strain and other injuries, while the complete removal operation took about three weeks. “ It’s strenuous, guys were getting hurt, it takes forever, ” Zaleski told the Riverhead News-Review. An idea built from scrap Zaleski decided that the department needed a tool that could pull poles from the ground without requiring workers to use their backs and arms for every…
Coverage
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NamedUnited States · New York · Cornell Local Roads Program · Federal Highway Administration · Mike Zaleski · New York State Local Technical Assistance Program Center · Riverhead Highway Department · Riverhead News-Review
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