Oregon will use more salt on roads with snow and ice

(NOVEMBER 29, 2018) Many states use salt on roads in the winter. Salt helps melt snow and ice. That makes roads safer for driving.

Oregon does not usually use salt on roads. Many people think that the salt hurts the environment. It is expensive to store. The salt can also damage roads and cars.

Oregon usually uses a special chemical instead. Sometimes it is not enough to melt snow and ice.

Last year, the state tried salt on 11 miles of Interstate 5 from California. This helped to lower the number of accidents. The number of winter crashes fell from 115 to 54.

"It was amazing to see," says Dave Thompson. He works for the Oregon Department of Transportation. He says, "The salt was really effective."

This year, the state will use salt in several places:

• the first 100 miles of Interstate 5 north of California
• 200 miles of Interstate 84
• 121 miles of U.S. 95 in Southeastern Oregon

The city of Portland will also use more salt on streets.

"Last year, we found that salt was working so well we expanded our use throughout the winter," Dylan Rivera says. He works for Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Scientists say Oregon will have more ice and less snow this winter.