Road Salt Runs Short As State Heads For Record High Use

Wisconsin road crews are expecting to break the all-time record for road salt this year, and state officials are urging counties to use less on some state highways.

During an average winter, county highway departments charged with clearing state and interstate highways use around 500,000 tons of road salt. This winter, of course, has been anything but average. So far the state has gone through 640,000 tons, with more winter to go. Department of Transportation highway maintenance engineer Todd Matheson says that’s just 24,000 tons short of the all-time record for road salt used on major highways.

“We’re pretty confident we’re going to break that record,” Matheson said. “It’s not a good record to break, but we have had just an extremely difficult winter and an extremely cold winter and that all plays a big part of it.”

If more salt is needed, it’ll likely be pricey. Matheson says that’s because nearly all of Wisconsin’s road salt comes by ship or barge.

“Obviously we had the ice come in early this year and [the ice] has persisted and is thicker than it has been in many years,” he said. “So, our ability to get new salt is limited… or at least cost effective salt is limited.”

The state is urging counties to conserve salt by using a sand-and-salt mix on less busy state highways. Dunn County Highway Commissioner Jesse Rintala says drivers will notice the difference.

“There’s definitely going to be areas where maybe you’re used to bare pavement shortly after a winter weather event where there might be some snow outside the wheel tracks,” Rintala said.

The DOT says the state has about 135,000 tons of road salt left in reserve.