Snowy 'Mt. Midway' Being Hauled Away By Truck
ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- At latest check, this past winter ranks as the fourth snowiest on record in the Twin Cities. Even so, most of the big drifts of snow have melted away.
There are exceptions, such as what some are calling "Mount Midway" in St. Paul.
The collection of snow in the parking lot of the Midway Stadium is still so large that crews are working overnight, chipping away at it using backhoes so dump trucks can haul the snow away.
The lot was where snow-removal crews dumped much of the snow over the winter, which has left a heaping mass of snow and dirt in this, the final week of April.
And now time is up for the parking lot, which is intended to be used for a St. Paul Saints exhibition game one week from Thursday.
"If we would have had a nice April with the weather, but it turned cold ... so that hampered a lot of things," said City of St. Paul worker and project supervisor Doug Drusch. "You just can't predict what Mother Nature's going to do. ... There's snow in the forecast tomorrow. Lucky us."
Drusch said the crews are making progress. He estimated that, at one point, they had 175,000 yards of snow in the parking lot. About one-quarter of that remains.
The snow is being taken to an impound lot near the State Fairgrounds, where the city will let it melt away.
Drusch said crews are working at night because it's more efficient, they don't have to deal with traffic and can get the snow moved faster.
The City of St. Paul has spent $80,000 on removing the snow from Midway Stadium so far. Drusch thinks crews can get the job done in six days.
