Frozen Edina Hockey Rink Finally Thaws

EDINA, Minn,. - Construction crews at Braemar Ice Arena in Edina have had a frozen soil problem until Monday. Crews are reconstructing the mechanics underneath the ice sheet in the west arena, but first they had to find a way to thaw out the ground that had literally frozen to incredible depths.

It's a $2.2 million renovation project at Braemar that has been about 45 years in the making.

This summer, the city decided to give the aging arena a facelift by replacing the mechanics underneath the playing surface. But that isn't easy when a frozen sheet of ice has sat in the same place since 1965.

The ground had completely frozen. Testing shows the frost extended 18 feet down into the soil. Before contractors could lay the new piping infrastructure, the earth had to be thawed.

Even at the recent hot temperatures, the project manager joked it would take Mother Nature upwards of two years to get the soil.

Engineers devised a plan using Braemar's boiler and an intricate maze of hosing. For two months, they ran steaming hot water into dozens of holes -- 20 feet deep -- throughout the rink. These insulated mats kept the heat trapped at ground level.

On Monday, they got the all-clear that the frost is gone. The next phase of the project can begin.