Skip to main content

Volvo cuts it close among the trees of Germany’s Rheinland-Palatinate

German contractor Autobahnamt Montabaur is maintaining highways and roadside woodland – all with the support of Volvo CE’s redesigned EW160E wheeled excavator. The Volvo EW160E wheeled excavator’s compact design is perfect for confined highway construction job sites. Stretched across the heart of central Germany lies a network of often tree-lined highways. Nestled among the woodland and amidst the Rhenish Massif mountain range, is Westerwald, meaning ‘Western Forest.’ The city’s 13,000 inhabitants and 4
January 4, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
Volvo EW160E: standing ready for action
German contractor Autobahnamt Montabaur is maintaining highways and roadside woodland – all with the support of 359 Volvo CE’s redesigned EW160E wheeled excavator.

The Volvo EW160E wheeled excavator’s compact design is perfect for confined highway construction job sites. Stretched across the heart of central Germany lies a network of often tree-lined highways. Nestled among the woodland and amidst the Rhenish Massif mountain range, is Westerwald, meaning ‘Western Forest.’  The city’s 13,000 inhabitants and 40,000 district residents rely on the highway for economic growth and so must be maintained to the highest standard.

The authority – Mobility Rheinland-Pfalz (LBM) – designs, builds and maintains the 18,000km of highways, federal state and county roads in Rheinland-Palatinate. Of this total route network, 877km are being maintained by Autobahnamt Montabaur. With over 700 employees, the company’s duties include tree-cutting and salt dispersion to pavement rehabilitation and warning sign placement.

However, during the tree-cutting months from October to March, Autobahnamt Montabaur is primarily tasked with wood maintenance along the tree-lined highways.

To complete tree-cutting projects in a timely and efficient manner, Autobahnamt Montabaur uses the Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) EW160E wheeled excavator. Formerly rented solely for the tree-cutting months, Autobahnamt Montabaur recently added the wheeled excavator to their permanent fleet, joining the 11 Volvo L35G compact wheel loaders the company also operates.

As arguably the most advanced multitool carrier in the industry, the wheeled excavator is ideal for jobs that require flexibility, independence of movement and operational safety. To further aid productivity and reduce fuel consumption, the machine is powered by the robust Volvo Tier 4f engine that features automatic idling as standard, which not only cuts fuel use but noise pollution too.

When in timber management configuration Autobahnamt Montabaur uses a HABBIG HS850 Schnitt-Griffy hydraulic hedge shear and extraction gripper – allowing the operator to secure, cut and remove branches and trees quickly, accurately and safely.

To enhance the safety of operations, Autobahnamt Montabaur has added the optional Volvo Smart View system to its new EW160E. The system uses cameras attached to the front-right, front-left and rear of the wheeled excavator which provide a bird’s-eye view of the machine operating from above.

The 360 degree view of actual footage happening in real time allows the operator to see his surroundings and ensure safe rotation.

Related Content

  • Remote machine control trials with Volvo CE
    March 11, 2019
    Volvo CE is starting trials on the use of remote controlled machines using the latest communications.
  • Driveability a key feature of Volvo’s EW60E wheeled excavator
    February 17, 2016
    Volvo Construction Equipment’s latest wheeled excavator, the EW60E, is equipped with a powerful Stage IIIB/Tier 4f compliant Volvo engine and adjustable hydraulic flow. The EW60E also has a top speed of up to 30kph, meaning it can easily be driven between locations. It features a new generation Volvo Cab that includes 10% more space for comfortable operation. A phone tray, two power sockets, cup holder and three other large storage areas makes the Volvo cab a more convenient working environment. The c
  • Driveability a key feature of Volvo’s EW60E wheeled excavator
    January 6, 2017
    Volvo Construction Equipment’s latest wheeled excavator, the EW60E, is equipped with a powerful Stage IIIB/Tier 4f compliant Volvo engine and adjustable hydraulic flow. The EW60E also has a top speed of up to 30kph, meaning it can easily be driven between locations. It features a new generation Volvo Cab that includes 10% more space for comfortable operation. A phone tray, two power sockets, cup holder and three other large storage areas makes the Volvo cab a more convenient working environment. The c
  • Volvo CE ‘routes’ for Chicago highway project
    May 22, 2014
    More than 2.5 million m³ of material is being moved with a fleet of Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) articulated haulers in the US state of Illinois. Home to the world’s first skyscraper, the Chicago Bears – and the Blues Brothers – Illinois is the fifth most populous American state and a major transport hub. Industrial cities and agricultural productivity is growing in central and northern Illinois – while natural resources like coal, timber and oil and gas in the south help provide the state with