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The most cost-effective way to treat snow-covered roads is getting much more expensive. Last year’s harsh winter led to a salt shortage that’s driving up prices this year.
The Indiana Department of Transportation has all of the salt it needs to combat hazardous road conditions like the ones seen this week. But, it had to pay significantly more to build up that stockpile this year. INDOT Spokesman Will Wingfield says salt prices are up 57 percent.
"What it certainly does is it kind of impacts our overall cost of winter operations," Wingfield said. "But, at the same time, we’ve been fortunate fuel prices have been going down in recent months and that’s helped us on our costs to fuel these vehicles."
The price spike is more difficult for counties and cities to cope with because of their limited budgets.
Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray says the city bought its salt supplies earlier than normal to make it more affordable.
"Ours was locked in at a lower rate anticipating it would be going up," Murray said. "We don’t know when that’s going to come, but our barns are full right now."
Brown County isn’t as lucky . They’re paying $84 per ton of salt compared to $65 last year.
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