Bob CollinsIt was a short lifespan for an extension of County Road H in Bayfield, Wisconsin yesterday. The Ice Road, connecting Bayfield with Madeline Island on Lake Superior, opened to light trucks and cars yesterday. But overnight, cracks in the road developed and officials have closed it while trying to fill low spots.
Back in the day — 2008 when this video was filmed — the Ice Road was quite the tourist attraction…
But for many, driving on any ice road may involve whether you feel lucky or not.
It’s all a matter of ice thickness and how much weight you’re trying to support. Here’s the Army Corps of Engineers guide on these things:
| Required Minimum Ice Thickness in inches |
Description of Safe Moving Load |
|---|---|
| 1-3/4 | One person on skies |
| 2 | One person on foot or skates |
| 3 | One snowmobile |
| 3 | A group of people walking single file |
| 7 | A single passenger automobile |
| 8 | A 2-1/2 ton truck |
| 9 | A 3-1/2 ton truck |
| 10 | A 7 to 8 ton truck |
On the Bayfield Wisconsin Facebook page, someone asked how many cars have gone through the ice when the ice road was officially open. “None,” the curator replied, “except for the person who tried to move a house across it.”
The road will be closed all day today. It may be open tomorrow.
