By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Road and Bridge department uses a Broce Broom, or construction and industrial street sweeper, to help remove hazards such as loose gravel, broken glass and trash from roadways.
Barton County Works Director Chris Schartz said their 2002 Broce Broom model has more than 3,500 hours on it and the equipment has been used beyond its useful life.
"They work under very dusty conditions," said Schartz. "We normally seal around 95 to 100 miles of road a year. We use all four Brooms to sweep off the seal. They're used hard for about a month trying to get that seal off the road."
Barton County has four Brooms, and the Barton County Commission approved the purchase to replace the 2002 model.
"When you're running them, you have to run them at full throttle to make all of the hydraulics work," said Schartz. "They do take quite a bit of abuse."
The 2025 Broce Broom was priced at $74,300. With the trade-in of the 2002 model, the county was able to get $10,000. The Commission approved the purchase for $64,300 from G.W. Van Keppel Company.