FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky transportation officials say the state's first winter storm response of the season went well overall, despite some road accidents and closures. But as winter continues, the state is piloting a new eco-friendly road treatment method to improve snow response.
De-sugared beet juice derivative will be used alongside traditional salt to treat roads. The product is designed to be more environmentally friendly than calcium chloride, which has been used previously.
"This is not like a can of Mott's Beet Juice or whatever off your shelf," explained Eric Bowman, Kentucky's roadway weather program manager.
The beet juice derivative contains no sugar, making it non-sticky. Its primary function is to lower the freezing temperature, allowing salt to more effectively clear roads of hazards.
"What we are going to be doing is utilizing this product to pre-wet our salt when we use it on the roadways. So it won't just be straight brown material that we're putting on the roads. It'll be our salt coated with that material," Bowman said.
While calcium chloride is also effective, transportation officials say the beet product offers environmental benefits and causes less damage to equipment.
"It's less corrosive, so it will be a lot less damaging to our trucks. The calcium chloride when it's left in the trucks themselves, it can cause some corrosion over the years. This product will allow us to utilize our trucks for a lot longer," Bowman said.
Kentucky has 1,500 trucks ready for winter operations and 2,300 "snow-fighters" on staff, according to Transportation Secretary Jim Gray. The state has also installed new cameras to help roadway crews better identify areas where they are most needed.
Despite preparation efforts, Kentucky could still face winter challenges. In recent years, ice storms and heavy snowfall within short periods have caused problems. However, Gray said past experiences inform future responses.
"We have after action reports. We have after action meetings every season. What we learned from that, we try to translate that into the next season," Gray said.
