MnDOT’s snow fence program is a partnership with landowners and farm operators to improve roadway safety and mobility for the traveling public. Partnership agreements are flexible and customizable, and MnDOT will work hand-in-hand with landowners to determine an agreed upon solution.
Currently, District 4 has 10 miles of corn rows, 8.6 miles of structural, and 14.7 miles of living fence protecting state highways from blowing and drifting snow.
The agency wants to partner to solve the almost 300 blowing snow problems in the district. These known problem areas where identified by MnDOT snow plow operators. Along these stretches, MnDOT will work with land owners to install one of three types of snow fences: structural, living (trees/shrubs) or vegetative (corn rows or hay bales).
Snow fence types
Structural - Composite rail snow fence. View 2020 - 2021 from structural fence on Hwy 28 Morris (camera does not operate below 6 degrees).
Hwy 210 French (camera does not operate below 6 degrees).
Living (trees/shrubs) - shrub row planting that matures to a 8 to 12-foot height with a grass component planted on either side to protect the shrubs from herbicide drift.
Vegetative (corn rows or hay bales) - Corn rows strategically left standing in the field over the winter months and harvested the following spring.
Grading (earth work) - Raising the road profile, so it is 3 ft above the surrounding topography, constructing 4 ft or greater ditch depth, or widening the ditch bottom from a traditional 8 ft width to 30 ft or greater.
