Highway 23 living snow fence project completed
WILLMAR, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation installed more than 3.3 miles of living snow fence on the north side of Highway 23, with approximately half of the fence situated on each side of the Kandiyohi and Stearns County line, which is located between Hawick and Paynesville. The Highway 23 living snow fence project was made possible through special funding from the Minnesota Legislature. Plant materials are native to Minnesota.
Prep work began in fall 2024, including the removal of volunteer vegetation, preliminary staking, and planting bed preparation. This spring, crews planted and mulched the beds. The contractor will now monitor the living snow fence for a two-year vegetation establishment period, which includes watering plant beds and replacing trees that don’t establish.
Traffic will not be affected during watering and replacement operations.
A living snow fence can include trees, shrubs, native grasses, and/or wildflowers to trap snow as it blows across fields, piling it up before it reaches a bridge or roadway.
Living snow fences bring multiple benefits to a roadside, including the capacity to:
- Prevent big snow drifts and icy roads
- Improve driver visibility
- Control soil erosion and reduce spring flooding
- Lessen environmental impact with less salt use, fewer truck trips and less fuel consumption
The Highway 23 living snow fence project cost approximately $1.3 million, and Hoffman & McNamara Company is the contractor.
Stay connected
- Visit the project website at mndot.gov/d8/projects/hwy23gaps.
- For information on how MnDOT controls blowing and drifting snow using snow fencing, visit mndot.gov/environment/livingsnowfence.
- Join the Southwest Minnesota Facebook group for news, events and updates
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