Highway Crews Restocking Salt And Other Chemicals

Crews with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet have started efforts to restock salt supplies and other ice-fighting chemicals to be prepared for the next round of winter weather. Spokesman Keith Todd says the District 1 Snow and Ice Team reports they have placed orders for 13,500 tons of salt with a price of $770,000, and ordered 45,000 gallons of calcium chloride at about 86 cents per gallon. He notes crews used about 75 percent of their available salt supply over the last week. He adds that is more than District 1 crews used during all of the mild winter of 2016-17.

In District 2, Todd says the Snow and Ice Team has placed orders for 9,500 tons of salt with a price tag of $535,000, and ordered 64,450 gallons of calcium chloride at about 86 cents per gallon. He adds that is more than District 2 crews used during all of the mild winter of 2016-17.

Todd says salt deliveries are expected to start arriving as early as Friday, with most of the deliveries expected by the end of the next week. He notes it normally takes about a week to restock and get supplies distributed for the next winter weather event.

Meanwhile, Todd says the rising temperatures Thursday helped efforts for crews to finish clearing rural secondary highways across the region.

Highway crews are also watching for the potential for rainfall over the weekend that could create localized flooding. By then, Todd says most snow and ice that might block storm drains in urban areas should be melted. However, he adds there may be an opportunity for localized street flooding in some areas.

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