Drones are applying herbicides along US 12
By Terry Murry on Monday, May 1st, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Maintenance crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation will be working with a drone contractor to apply herbicides to approximately 300 acres along U.S. 12 between milepost 328 to 335 west of Walla Walla today (Monday). The work, which is part of a regional restoration project, will take place during daylight hours and take about eight to 10 hours to complete.
WSDOT said the application of herbicides in this location isn’t new. The only difference is rather than applying the herbicides with a truck and sprayer, the contractor will be using unmanned aerial systems to treat the noxious weeds in the target area.
Department officials said the use of drones improves safety for road crews, reduces the likelihood of work zone crashes, and reduces the impact to drivers since there won’t be a need for lane closures. The drones will be programmed to fly over the entire site and provide uniform herbicide coverage.
WSDOT said it has had a difficult time preventing weeds from growing along this section of U.S. 12 since it was constructed and opened to traffic a decade ago. Once complete, WSDOT will re-establish pollinator friendly and native vegetation through seeding and selective weed control. Using native plants reduces maintenance and herbicide costs, and also improves fire resilience along the roadside.
Photo of U.S. 12 via WSDOT
