I suggest a vehicle (driven or hand pushed for pavements) which progresses slowly along roads carrying out the following stages to clear snow/ice.
Front of machine has chopping/grinding/scraping blades with a hot air heater and suction device. Collected ice and snow is forced into an internal heating tank. Tank is violently churned and mixed whilst being heated enough to melt to slush/water. Side vents expell water into guttering and drains, leaving a cleared road/pavement.
Considering the array of sophisticated machinery on our roads today and the polluting effects and costs of salt/grit spreading I surmise that this would be a feasible and economical device to build and maintain with current technology.
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