Some Midwest Agencies Face Road Salt Shortage

(Michael James - Transport Topics) Road crews in some states may face short supplies of road salt if weather turns bad.

Supplies of road de-icing salt have been hard to come by for many smaller road agencies in the Midwest, leaving officials scrambling to replenish their stores amid a regional shortage due to heavy use last year.

"Supplies are tighter than normal following last year’s unusually harsh winter," Salt Institute Vice President Andy Briscoe said. "The winter was early and hard and some agencies used their full year’s supply of salt by January. They ran short quick."

That left salt company stores depleted by season’s end, so when road and

treet departments from places like Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Mishawaka, Ind., started their normal bidding process this October for winter 2001-02, there at first was none to be had.

For the full story, see the Nov. 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.