https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/11/29/the-michigan-city-that-doesnt-need-to-plow-its-roads/ 42o Join InsiderSign In [ ] Search * + News + Watch Live + Local News + Traffic + National + World + Entertainment + Travel + Health + Politics + Elections + Community + Trust Index * + Local 4+ + Watch Local 4+ + A Conversation With + What's In That Garage + Live in the D + Help Me Hank + Investigations + Flashpoint + Tasty Tuesday + Solutionaries + TV Listings + MeTV Detroit * + Weather + Weather News + Alerts + MIPics + School Closings + Forecasting Change * + Sports + Lions + Lions Stats + Tigers + Tigers Stats + Red Wings + Red Wings Stats + Pistons + Pistons Stats + Wolverines + Spartans + 4Frenzy + Feel the Bern * + Features + Watch Local 4+ + Parade + Go 4 It + Vote 4 The Best + 4YI + MIPics + All 4 Pets + Holidays + Brag Book + Sunshine Awards + In The D + Food + Contests * + Live In The D + Dine In The D + Click On Deals + Couch Club + What's The Buzz + Events Live Guide * + Ann Arbor + Headlines + Topics + Sports + Events + Ann Arbor Weather + Get Involved * + Newsletters * + Contact Us + Help Center + Meet The Team + Careers at WDIV + Advertise with us * News * Local 4+ * Weather * Sports * Features * Live In The D * Ann Arbor * Newsletters * Contact Us ClickOnDetroit.com * News * Local 4+ * Weather * Sports * Features * Live In The D * Ann Arbor * Newsletters * Contact Us * LIVE Local News --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dane Kelly, Digital Content Producer Published: November 29, 2023, 2:16 PM Updated: November 30, 2023, 10:11 AM Tags: Holland, Ottawa County, Allegan County --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for our Newsletters [ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LATEST NEWS --------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 minutes ago Michigan approves Line 5 replacement, concrete tunnel under Straights of Mackinac 1 hour ago Group of Ford engineers carry on 22-year tradition in Dearborn Heights 2 hours ago EB I-96 from Wixom Road to I-275 reduced to 1 lane on Sunday, Monday in Oakland County 2 hours ago Authorities arrest 3 accused of running St Clair County drug house CLICK ON DEALS --------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep on holiday shopping with these exclusive Insider Deals This wall light is a practical, affordable stocking stuffer at just $18.97 for Cyber Week! Cyber Week special! Learn ASL for $16 with this bundle of 13 e-courses Local News The Michigan city that doesn't need to plow its roads Yes, really Dane Kelly, Digital Content Producer Published: November 29, 2023, 2:16 PMUpdated: November 30, 2023, 10:11 AM Tags: Holland, Ottawa County, Allegan County Can you imagine the quality of life improvements from not having to do this? (Unsplash) HOLLAND, Mich. - Snow shoveling is tedious and can sometimes be dangerous. Not counting Alaska, Michigan is one of the snowiest places in the United States, thanks to the lake effect. It's part of the reason why one of our state's nicknames is the Winter Wonderland. There is one place in the state where they don't have to worry about shoveling. They don't need to worry about salt. They haven't since 1988. Located on Michigan's west side, Holland is known for its Dutch heritage, the Tulip Time Festival, its many churches, the Big Red Lighthouse and the world's largest pickle factory. Outside of the delight of fermented cucumbers, there's something else delightful about the city: roughly five miles of snow-free streets and sidewalks. The Snowmelt System Inspired by similar systems in Europe, in the late 1980s, the city installed underground pipes that circulate warm water under the streets and sidewalks. Currently, there are roughly 190 miles of 3/4'' pipes pumping 5,500 gallons of 95-degree Fahrenheit water per minute. It's a closed system using hot water from the Holland Energy Park before returning to a cooling tower. It can melt one inch of snow per hour at 20 degrees and 10 mph winds. Since being installed in the 1980s, Snowmelt has expanded to a few areas outside of its downtown and now includes the market area, the Civic Center, the sidewalks to the Herrick District Library and more. It's the largest municipal snowmelt system in North America and the city said they have the capacity to support a system much larger than its current size, so there might be more expansions in the future. Now, can we get them to figure out how to make it so I don't have to rake anymore? Copyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Author: Dane Kelly Dane Kelly is a digital producer who has been covering various Michigan news stories since 2017. email Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. * TV Listings * Contests and Rules * Email Newsletters * RSS Feeds * Closed Captioning / Audio Description * Contact Us * Careers at WDIV * Terms of Use * Privacy Policy * Public File * FCC Applications * Do Not Sell My Info Follow Us Get Results with Omne Omne Results Logo If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Graham Media Group LogoGraham Digital Logo Copyright (c) 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.