A simple fix for a common winter road problem earned the Town of Fleming Highway Department statewide recognition, according to the Cornell Local Roads Program. The department received honorable mention in New York’s 2026 Build a Better Mousetrap Competition for its homemade In-box Salt Shroud.
The device directs road salt toward a truck’s center conveyor, helping spread material more evenly while reducing overloaded trucks, fuel use and equipment wear. Highway crews can build and install the shroud with basic hand tools in about eight hours.
Program officials say the design improves efficiency and could be adopted by highway departments across New York to make winter road maintenance safer and more cost-effective.
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