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A relatively new toy for the Washington State Department of Transportation being used along freeways is causing some short-term chokepoints from rubber-necking drivers wondering what it is.

Drivers may have noticed a large lawnmower with tank-like tread moving through the grass recently on the side of I-5 near the University District. Though it’s an impressive machine, what really catches people’s attention is the fact that nobody is riding it.

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“We’ve almost had a couple of close calls,” WSDOT employee Kai Reis explained.

Reis is in charge of the remote control mowers being used in the region. The state owns two of them.

Reis says the state moved to the remote-control option for safety purposes. There’s so much hiding in the grass that it’s not always safe to use a riding mower anymore.

“Some of that stuff kicks back up,” Reis said.

The remote-control mowers also have the ability to ride on steep slopes without rolling over. Reis is grateful for that function.

“I’ve been on some steep slopes…” he said. Some slopes have made him, “Really, really nervous … And the grass is so tall you don’t know what’s underneath.”

Each lawnmower costs the state about $87,000. Reis says the machines are worth it because they increase the maintenance department’s efficiency.

“We can gain more territory out in the field with this machine,” he said. That means work is completed more quickly as the machines tear through thick brush and tall grass. Reis says it takes the “fear factor” out of mowing what were some dangerous areas.

The mower’s signal strength has a 1,000-foot range, and it can cut just about anything. Workers must stop the machine to keep from running over garbage.

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