This winter, Eden Prairie is completing its conversion to salt-only snow and ice removal with a high-tech twist.

After testing the sand-free strategy over the last two winters, this year the city outfitted all 18 of its snowplows with a GPS system that tracks their location and precisely measures their application of salt, said Public Works Director Gene Dietz. "This year we got all the equipment to make it our ultimate plan."

The goal is to make the most economical use of salt possible while getting uniform melting results on high-volume streets and hills. In the process, the city hopes to send as little salt as possible into Nine Mile Creek, Dietz said.

In the past, salt use was measured by the truckload in weight and volume. With the new tracking devices, "We are going to be able to determine just how much salt we put down on the streets," Dietz said.

"It's more scientific. It's a better way to make decisions. The sophistication of the equipment to monitor and meter road salt has become very good."

The city also will apply liquid anti-icing solution to streets in advance of storms to prevent ice buildup. Residents may notice this as white streaks applied to their streets when snow is forecast, he said.

Unlike the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Hennepin County, which have a bare pavement policy on high-volume roads, Eden Prairie does not strive for bare streets, Dietz said.

"Our roadways are 40 miles per hour or less. In wintertime, our standard is to have a snowpack on them."

Salt is used on the busier streets and steep hills to control ice, Dietz said.

The city will not make any changes this year in the way residential streets are plowed, Dietz said. Eden Prairie declares a snow emergency after 2 inches of snow have fallen. "In a typical storm, we come out at 3 a.m. and we're typically done by 11 a.m.," Dietz said.

City crews clean streets for safety, Dietz said. "The convenience of being able to drive at a faster speed is probably secondary.

"When winter comes, slow down a bit."

Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711