New ODOT 'Gator Getter' tears through litter on Stark County highways, improves safety

STARK COUNTY, Ohio - A yellow mouth shooting down the highway scooping up litter and debris, the Gator Getter is the latest piece of technology Stark County is using to fight road pollution.

Introduced by ODOT District 4 in November, the "Gator" is a new truck attachment that ODOT calls a cross between a snow plow and round tube. One of its strengths is its emphasis on safety.

The “Gator” takes highway technicians off the roadway and puts them in the truck. In the past, workers would have to pull over to the side of the road, wait for a break in traffic and then run out into the road to pick up litter. Now, though, it’s all done with the “Gator.”

Each “Gator” attachment costs about $22,000 and can be placed on the front of ODOT tandem trucks.

“Stark County HTs will no longer be put into danger while picking up litter on the highways in Stark County. I have been impressed with Gator’s performance and I know it will become a well-used piece of equipment by the county,” Mark Griffiths, Stark County Manager said in a news release.

Take a look at the Gator in action:

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