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MnDOT rolling out 'ice breakers' to combat re-freezing

MnDOTs newest tool to fight back against slick roads is a giant roller that packs a lot of punch.

MINNEAPOLIS - After weeks of battling slick roads and sub-zero temps, a brief winter warm-up is giving MnDOT a chance to break out its newest tool to prevent refreezing: the "ice breaker" truck.

The truck is equipped with a weighted drum pokes holes in icy or snow-packed surfaces thanks to large, carbide tips. A plow blade attachment under the truck then scrapes away the stuck-on ice.

The idea for the "ice breakers" came from the Alaska Department of Transportation. MnDOT bought a couple of the rollers a few years ago and they showed so much promise that they now share 11 throughout the state.

They can be used on a variety of roads and surfaces but there needs to be at least an inch of ice or packed snow in order to prevent damage to driving lanes.

In the metro area, they are primarily used along shoulders where ice can build up and refreezing can creep into the lanes.

"It's very important for us to be able to get the ice off of the shoulder so that as the snow and ice melts, it can reach the storm sewer system," said MnDOT spokesperson Kent Barnard. "We get (ice) two to three feet thick sometimes on the shoulders. That truck does a very good job breaking it up."

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