ROANOKE, Va. – As winter weather approaches, you’ve likely noticed the VDOT trucks on the roads, working to keep them safe and clear of ice. But how do they do it? Here’s a look at the process.
Jason Bond with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) explains that their efforts start long before snow or ice hits the ground. “We are going ahead and preparing by pre-treating the roads ahead of this storm,” he says.
The process, known as “brining,” involves applying a liquid mixture of water and salt to the road surface. “Correct, it is a liquid. A water and salt solution mixed in a certain percentage that we can put down ahead of the storm. What that does is, if we do start to see icing, it will delay that ice from sort of freezing on the road surface for a little bit of time,” Bond explains.
The brine mixture is created right in VDOT’s facilities. Tanks are filled with the solution, which is then used in trucks that distribute the brine onto the roads.
While brine is important for preventing ice buildup, it’s not the only tool in VDOT’s winter arsenal. When snow falls, the department also relies on salt. Bond adds, “This type of just dry salt is our primary chemical for when we are dealing with snow removal operations. You put that down as you are making multiple passes over a snow-covered road. As you are plowing, you put down salt, and then it helps melt that ice and snow that is forming on the road surface as you’re making those multiple passes so you can plow.”
Though pre-treatment with brine helps delay ice from forming, Bond stresses that it’s not a perfect solution. “Just because we pre-treat it doesn’t mean there’s not going to be ice or snow on the road. It does mean it will delay that from happening sometimes, and it also makes it easier for us when we see accumulating snow to plow it,” he explains.
You may have already spotted the brine trucks making their way across the roads, leaving behind white streaks. If you do, VDOT asks drivers to keep a safe distance and allow the trucks to do their job as they prepare the roads for winter weather.