A road that can heat & cool itself

The tubes absorb heat in the summer and release heat in the winter. One of the advantages of such types of roads is the elimination of Snowplows. In summers, the roads can generate heat which can be used to heat nearby buildings or pools.

Eurovia, a construction company based in France, has been testing a road section that can heat and cool itself. Called as the 'Power Road', there is a network of tubes under the road surface.

A 394-foot Power Road has been installed in Egletons, about 482 km from Paris. The tubes in this road are connected to the city’s biomass powered heating network, which helps maintain the road surface temperature at a toasty 60 degree Celsius in winters.

The tubes absorb heat in the summer and release heat in the winter. One of the advantages of such types of roads is the elimination of Snowplows. In summers, the roads can generate heat which can be used to heat nearby buildings or pools.

While using salt and Snowplows is a cheap alternative, the corrosive nature of the salt can cost owners much more in repair bills. Snowplows also cause potholes when their blades scrap off the road surface along with the snow. 

Source : Jalopnik