Road monitor

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) in the US is testing a mobile road condition monitor that can detect hazardous ice, snow or wet conditions by using infrared technology.

The new High Sierra Surface Sentinel device is expected to help maintenance crews better determine the time to apply salt when there are plowing without even touching the pavement.

According to MnDOT, the sensor also reports data related to air temperature, surface temperature and road friction and is being tested by snow and ice crews in northern Minnesota.

MnDOT salt solutions coordinator Joe Huneke said: "The biggest reason we’re looking at this is for the friction reading.

"The biggest reason we’re looking at this is for the friction reading."

"Typically, when operators are patrolling their route and the road looks like it’s getting icy, they’ll err on the side of caution and apply salt and it may not need it."

Information can also be obtained with regard to real-time surface weather conditions with the help of the new mobile device.

Plow operators and supervisors currently detect road conditions by entering them into a computer or relay them by phone, which is said to be a time-consuming process on which operators cannot rely all the time.

Additionally, MnDOT proposes to build a roundabout to improve safety and mobility at the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 71 near Blomkest in southern Kandiyohi County.

Construction is slated to begin during mid-2017.

The roundabout will receive funding as part of a $9m statewide programme targeted towards improving safety on Minnesota highways.

Image: The High Sierra Surface Sentinel device will detect hazardous ice, snow or wet conditions without even touching the pavement. Photo: courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.