"DOT banishes sand from snowy highways" read the December 15 headline in the Connecticut Post Online . "Instead of seeing the brown ick of sand polluting the landscape," Connecticut drivers will soon see clear, black roads when it snows, explained journalist Rob Varnon. The CT DOT has replaced sand-salt mixes with straight salt -- the solution used in most states and the strong trend among professional snowfighters. Varnon continued:
Sand has traditionally been used to create traction on winter roads, but studies by the U.S. Department of Transportation and several universities during the last decade have called its effectiveness into question....The state DOT said it plans to use plows, salt and liquid calcium chloride to clear roads and also treat some surfaces before storms. ...Municipalities do not have to follow suit, but Connecticut requires towns and cities to clean up sand when it is placed on the roads because of the impact the material has on water supplies....The DEP discussed the DOT's winter plan, he said, and applauds the decision to quit using sand. Massachusetts, Vermont and New York have quit using sand because it is detrimental to the environment, he said.
Not only will switching to salt reduce the environmental burden, a DOT spokesperson said, but the public demands winter mobility only possible by using salt. "People are less and less patient. The DOT catches a lot of political heat if the roads aren't clear 24 hours after a storm," he explained.
Yes, we know. Good move, Connecticut!
