The Construction of Winter Roads and Ice Islands

Polar regions are more accessible in winter, when ground freezes and is covered by snow and when water bodies experience more regular ice cover than in the warm seasons. As cost-effective transportation facilities, winter roads have served an important transportation role in the Arctic region and Antarctica. Winter roads consist of segments that run over the land below and on river or lake ice surfaces. The characteristics of snow and ice pavements, their preparation techniques, and their subsequent use can vary significantly. This chapter presents “old” and modern methods for snow and ice road construction, including the details of the specific road machinery and related equipment. The technology of snow grooming is briefly described. This chapter also includes certain particularities about the construction of ice islands.