California IN BRIEF : MEYERS : State Tries Blasters to Dislodge Snowpacks
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Frustrated by the poor performance of 75-millimeter cannons in an effort to shoot down avalanches in the Sierra Nevada, state transportation officials are trying gas blasters triggered by remote control. Caltrans says that five of the curved, 17-foot blasters have been installed in steep terrain over U.S. 50 on Echo Summit. The area, just west of Lake Tahoe and about 90 miles east of Sacramento, is often hit by avalanches. Four more gas blasters are to be installed by next year.
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