On the occasion of the 17th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress (PIARC) taking place from March 10 to 13, 2026 in Chambéry, the French industrial group MND is highlighting the expertise of its MND SAFETY division, a pioneer in remote, explosive-free avalanche control systems, now deployed worldwide to secure roads, railways and strategic infrastructure in mountainous regions. 

In a context marked by a particularly snowy winter across several European mountain ranges, infrastructure operators are facing more frequent and less predictable avalanche events, increasing the challenges related to safety and transport network continuity. 

For more than 30 years, MND has been the global leader in preventive avalanche control technologies. The Group develops solutions enabling avalanches to be triggered in a controlled and preventive manner, using remote-controlled systems without explosives. 
These technologies allow operators to intervene quickly, even in hard-to-access areas or under extreme weather conditions. 

Major references for road authorities 

Today, MND SAFETY solutions are used by numerous road authorities and infrastructure managers worldwide to secure strategic transport corridors exposed to avalanche risks. 

In British Columbia (Canada), no fewer than 30 Gazex™ systems, 5 O’BellX™ units and one DaisyBell™ system protect major highway corridors across the province, ensuring the safety of people and goods along several dozen kilometers of road. 

In the United States, where MND has been established for more than 30 years, several Departments of Transportation rely on the Group’s technologies to secure avalanche-prone mountain roads.

This is notably the case in Utah (UDOT), Wyoming (WYDOT) and California (Caltrans), where these solutions help reduce and better manage road closure times while optimizing avalanche mitigation operations. 

In Colorado, along the Loveland Pass and Eisenhower Tunnel corridor, a system combining Gazex™ and O’BellX™ technologies ensures the safety of avalanche control operations on this heavily trafficked route crossing the Rocky Mountains. 

In France, Gazex™ technologies have been securing mountain access roads for decades, notably in Bonneval-sur-Arc (Savoie), Isola 2000 (Alpes-Maritimes) and Chamonix, near the Mont Blanc Tunnel, an area particularly exposed to avalanche hazards. 

Norway: a new multi-million-euro contract to strengthen road protection near the North Cape 

In Norway, MND SAFETY recently deployed 24 removable O’BellX™ systems to secure the main road on the island of Arnøya, a vital infrastructure for local communities and economic activity. This installation enables preventive avalanche release even in extreme climatic conditions and during the polar night, thanks to autonomous systems that can be remotely operated. 

MND SAFETY has also secured a new contract for roads leading to the North Cape for the installation of 19 additional O’BellX™ systems, representing several million euros, confirming the renewed confidence of Norwegian authorities in these technologies. 

A comprehensive approach to avalanche risk management 

Beyond preventive avalanche release, MND SAFETY offers a full range of solutions designed to anticipate and monitor avalanche risks. 

This approach allows infrastructure managers to trigger avalanches at the most appropriate time, limit road closures, and improve the safety of both operational teams and road users. 

Transport infrastructure in mountainous regions is increasingly exposed to natural hazards. Our objective is to provide infrastructure operators with reliable, remotely operated solutions adapted to extreme environments, in order to sustainably secure transport corridors while ensuring the safety of operators.

Jean-Guillaume Aldebert, Directeur of the MND SAFETY division