MnDOT Buys More “Ice Crushers” (video)

This is good news for winter drivers in Minnesota. Cold temps bring snow and ice to the roadways and tend to make travel in Minnesota tricky, if not dangerous.

In 2014, Minnesota bought it's first "ice crusher" and have just purchased several more at $37,000 each to help combat ice build up on the roads of the state. At least 4 will be in the metro area, with the rest spread around the state.

These "ice breakers" are rollers weighing 2 tons with carbide tipped spikes. They are mounted on the front of snowplows. The whirling spikes bust up the sheets of ice and the plow clears it away. They will be used when there is an ice build up of an inch or more.

“They are like big meat-tenderizers on the front of the trucks,” said John Stine, director of the Freshwater Society, which advocates for new ways to clear roads with less salt.

( St. Paul Pioneer Press) (KARE 11)