TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT)– The City of Topeka is rolling out a new plan to keep the roads clear during winter weather, saying it will make clearing the snow and ice more efficient.

The city is divided into 12 zones. In each zone, there are two plows clearing the streets from snow and ice.

This process is new this year. Before, the snow removal was just based on streets, focusing on the main roads, then side roads depending on the amount of snow. The zone plan now allows staff to focus on one area, rather than a list of streets devoting their time to keeping that area clear.

“So many lane miles it could not get over those,” Tony Trower with the City of Topeka said. “So, this has helped out a bunch. We’ve seen a big difference in it. We’re getting our streets back to normal conditions for the traveling public at a lot quicker time.”

Trower also said once the zone is cleared, crews stay in the area and monitor it for their entire shift.

These zones cover about 30 to 40 lane miles.