February 05, 2019 06:59 PM
Living in the Twin Cities requires crossing bridges. There is really no way around it.
That's why a number of years ago the Minnesota Department of Transportation added an anti-icing system to bridges.
MnDOT has ten bridges currently with this system. The most recent system was added last month in Bloomington.
The system is built into the bridge's roadway. Small discs pop up out of the road and spray a solution of potassium acetate. This helps keep the ice from forming in the first place on the bridge. The system has sensors on the bridge and in the air letting it know when to spray.
MnDOT's Michael Kowski says the chemical is expensive.
"About 5 dollars a gallon so we are very judicious about how much we use," Kowski said.
MnDOT says you probably won't see them working because they pop-up and spray quickly. But they do say the system is effective in helping keep bridges safer.
Updated: February 05, 2019 06:59 PM
Created: February 05, 2019 06:05 PM
Copyright 2019 - KSTP-TV, LLC A Hubbard Broadcasting Company
