Guess how many football fields equal the amount KDOT mows each year

KDOT field crews will soon be back on mowers maintaining more than 150,000 acres of highway right-of-way. By the end of the growing season, they will have mowed the equivalent of 250,000 football fields.

Like any work done along high-speed highways, mowing is hazardous. KDOT reminds drivers to slow down when approaching a mower, give them as much space as is safe, eliminate distractions and be respectful of the men and women who operate the mowers.

In recent years, the agency has adopted policies that reduce mowing frequency to save money, reduce crashes, enhance roadside aesthetics and provide cover for small wildlife.

KDOT plants native grasses and wildflowers – which are easier to maintain – on new construction projects, only mows the full right-of-way (the area beyond 15 feet of the road) every four years, and works with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Natural Resource Conservation Services and others to develop a responsive roadside management program.

To learn more about how KDOT manages Kansas’ roadsides, click here.