City Of Duluth Loads Up On Road Salt For The Winter, Guess How Much

While cleaning the camper this weekend to "put it up for the winter", I found a pair of mittens that I had been left there since Grandma's Marathon William A Irvin 5K in June.  Yes, in JUNE!  We are now into September and there is definitely a Fall feeling in the air.  The City of Duluth has already begun to think of winter and began to make decisions and purchases as we prepare for winter driving.

Based on what we experienced this past winter, they are purchasing road salt, which ain't cheap!  Compass Minerals America in Duluth purchased over 5,000 tons of road salt--at over 60 dollars per ton--for the winter season of year 2014, running from October to December.  Total cost?  If you guessed near $300,500, you were right on!

Elsa Robins of the NNCnow.com reports, the city uses salt during the winter to de–ice roads for prevention of accidents. Last year, city crews picked up and used nearly 6,000 tons of road salt from October through December of 2013.  Then, nearly 10,000 tons were used this past winter from January through April.

According, to a previous City of Duluth press release, temperatures need to warm up to at least 15 degrees for the salt to work, then the graders can chip away at the ice. Even then, care will need to be taken to not damage the roads.

Info via NNCnow.com/Elsa Robins