Province revamps ice-breaking machines to help cut through river

WINNIPEG — The provincial government has retrofitted four heavy-duty ice-breaking machines to help them cut through Red River ice north of Selkirk.

The ice cutters now have front pedals to better support the hydraulic boom arms,  which pulls the Amphibex onto solid ice.

Manitoba’s Infrastructure Minister, Steve Ashton said the machines will be ready next month, just in time for ice-mitigation season. The improved ice-breakers will help cut a pathway through the north Red River, reducing ice-jam-related flooding.

“Experience has shown how quickly ice-jam-related flooding can develop and the ice cutters, ice-breaking machines and personnel will create a path for river ice to move,” Ashton said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Experience has shown how quickly ice-jam-related flooding can develop and the ice cutters, ice-breaking machines and personnel will create a path for river ice to move," Ashton said.

The Amphibex fleet crushes more than 25 kilometres of river ice annually, and normally move onto the ice in early February.

READ MORE: Ice-breakers going out on Red River

The first 2016 flood outlook is scheduled to come out during the last week of February.

With files from the Canadian Press