On Monday, the province announced plans to prevent snow and ice buildup on the new Port Mann Bridge.

According to the Ministry of Transportation, the plan includes a custom-designed cable sweeper that will be fitted around bridge cables and used to remove snow and ice before they can accumulate.

Engineers have also identified highly water repellent, or hydrophobic, coatings and de-icing sprays that could be applied to the bridge cables to further prevent the accumulation of snow and ice.

The sweeper fits around the outside of the bridge cable and is lowered and raised along its length using a specially designed winch, while scrapers and brushes on the sweeper remove snow and ice buildup.

The sweepers, which will be installed on the 152 bridge cables that cross the roadway, are being tested this week.

The de-icing is similar to the application of de-icing material used for aircraft.

Roughly 250 claims of damage have been filed to ICBC since the "slush bomb" incident on Dec. 20, when vehicles were hit by chunks of ice falling off the cables.

A ministry press release noted the emphasis will be placed on preventing snow and ice accumulation and deployment of the sweepers will begin as soon as snow begins to fall.

An ongoing visual inspection of the bridge cables will be performed to prioritize redeployment of the sweepers.

The province said it is confident the combination of solutions will prevent the accumulation of snow and ice on the bridge cables.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com