Not a lick of salt anywhere in sight. We use a fine red clay gravel. Just like baseball infield stuff.

They use salt here like its going out of style, however sand is used in some locations (ie backstreets) simply because of the fact that it takes longer for plows to get to back streets, so sanders come around once cars have packed down the snow to add more friction to the compacted snow-road surface.

Salt is used on heavy traffic-major roads to act as a de-icing agent.

Salt.. not a whole lot. Nobody really takes care of our roads, except US-12.. and the blow-by across the road makes it impossible to tell where your car is. Anyone who has driven on US-12 knows what I am talking about. Red Arrow Highway is plowed maybe 10 times max. the whole winter. Let alone salt. All the backroads usually don't get plowed here. There are too many, a lot are dirt, and most are too small for a plow to fit on anyways [don't ask me what idiot made roads too small for two cars to drive on].


-justin

Both. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate salt. Naturally everyone calls us when they get snowed in, and rather than be nasty and say no, we take the tractors out and plow people out...then wash the tractors. Then repeat the next day. Let me tell you it aint' fun washing when your hands and mitt freeze to the steel.

my car hasn't left the barn in a week and i've found another ride back to college.

They use tons of salt, and some sand around here. In the spring time before we get a very heavy rain the roads are all white.

Anyway, I wish they would just put sand down. Right now it is way too cold, they put the salt down, and the road melts like it is supposed to, but within the hour it is all froze back up....makes for some REALLY slippery roads.

That'* the other reason that I don't like salt. The slush/freeze/ice factor.

Since it sometimes goes below freezing at night.....when it is clear and not raining....they use a liquid de-icer on our highway to control the "black ice".
It is applied just like those trucks on dirt roads for dust control.
A row of nozzles that drizzle out streams of propylene glycol that is relatively harmless. Recommended limits for glycols in drinking water are reported as 1 mg/l (USSR) and 0.14 mg/l (USA). Aquatic toxicity occurs at concentrations of approximately 100-1,000 mg/l for ethylene glycol and 1,000 mg/l for diethylene glycol and propylene glycol, although chronic effects such as loss of equilibrium in fish may occur at lower concentrations.

If we do get snow.....yes it does happen....the city uses rock salt and sand. The snow is usually washed away by the rain within a few days, along with the salt but it'* real messy for a while.

Sometimes the highway crew uses:
LIQUIDOW ARMOR Deicer Calcium Chloride

LIQUIDOW* ARMOR* Deicer is a patented, corrosion-inhibited solution which meets or exceeds the product specifications developed by the Pacific Northwest Snowfighters (PNS).

Applications
Developed for winter road maintenance applications, including anti-icing and pre-wetting.

Product Features:


30% calcium chloride

Corrosion inhibited

Passes 7-day freeze test at -20°F