In the wake of the first snowstorm of the season, Jackson city officials said a recent decision to use salt instead of cinders on road surfaces turned out to be an improvement over previous years.

The Jackson Board of Alderman voted in October to begin using salt to clear snowy roads instead of the cinder mixture once used.

Street crews had begun incorporating salt in their clearing procedures in 2013, but improved storage options enabled them to have enough salt on hand to make it their primary snow-clearing method.

Before snowstorms, salt brine was used as a pre-treatment on roadways known to be hazardous.

The Jackson Street Department plowed and spread salt on main roads when the snow began and found by the time crews went back out to plow again, about three-quarters of the snow and ice had become slushy and easier to handle.

“This was our first real experience using salt,” public works director Rodney Bollinger said. “And we are very pleased with the results.”

After plowing, more salt was spread, and road surfaces were clear of ice and snow within a matter of hours. At that time, crews transitioned to using a mixture of cinders and salt to address side streets.

“Altogether, crews worked 15 hours pretreating, plowing and clearing streets,” Bollinger said.

Street Department foreman Danny Youngerman said using salt was an improvement over previous years’ methods. Cinders, in addition to being less effective, were known to make more of a mess.

In total, the city used about 70 tons of salt on designated snow routes and problem areas around Jackson. The Jackson Street Department is capable of housing 400 tons of deicing salt at their facilities.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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