WSDOT will begin salting this winter

[SEF]

The geniuses at our very own Washington State Department of Transportation will begin use of an experimental road de-icer this winter - get this - SALT

 

 

Fortunately, it will be used in only a couple places.

 

http://www.access.wa.gov/news/article.asp?name=n0211107.htm

[Off_White]

I thought I heard it was a budget cutting experiment. The two routes are I-90 and Highway 2, aren't they? They figure its okay, because no one who matters drives old cars without modern underbody protection anyway.

[Son_of_Caveman]

That's right. And anyone driving a beater should drive off a 1000 ft. cliff...bastards.

[cs]

I drive a 20 year old car that is not all rusted out, well not yet. What was so wrong with the old way.......

[Son_of_Caveman]

cars don't stand a chance in Hawaii either

[iain]

I've never seen cars age faster than in Minnesota. Salted roads are a terrible idea. I've seen ODOT spray some antifreeze on hwy 26 periodically. Wonder why they don't use that.

[Rick_Sharpless]

Way back in the 70's Vermont did some study and concluded that the cost of salting (damage to cars, plants, streams, everything) way outweighed the accident damage avoided, and started using salt on on bridges or in particularly problematic locations. Wonder what WA DOT thinks they know now, that Vermont missed 25 years ago? Salt sux.

[Son_of_Caveman]

It's hard to give Snohomish/King/Pierce counties any credit for most decisions made in the last 20 years. Clueless.

[carolyn]

bummer for you guys!

 

I have a 89 chevy cavalier...got it 3 yrs ago from my grandma...45,000 miles on it...mint condition...Now its a rusty lookin' piece of shit! (still runs like a champ though! )

 

Salt sucks!

 

What other way is there though? How do you do it out yonder?

[Son_of_Caveman]

sand

[Dave_Schuldt]

Carolyn, they use lots of sand out here. People also use studded tire which destroy the roads, the ground up concrete washes into streams and fucks with the salmon. I have recently see SUVs driving around Seattle with studded tires. IDIOTS!!!! You should come out here some winter and watch all the 4 wheel drives roll into the ditch on the way to the pass.

[CascadeClimber]

<RANT>

 

I've lived 11 years in the Northwest preceded by 23 years in southeast Michigan.

 

Salt does far more damage to cars and roads than sand and gravel. The first two cars I owned rusted through the wheelwells, trunk, and the floorboards in a few years. The salt also eats the roads, causing large and plentiful potholes. The ruts caused by studs are bad, but not as bad as potholes. And salt washes into waterways and causes problems there, too.

 

This is really bad news. And the state government is astonished that voters are pissed off and distrustful. Go figure. Maybe if they hadn't pissed away billions on Sound Transit with almost zero meaningful results, they'd have a few thousand dollars to buy de-icer.

 

</RANT>

[leejams]

Yup I can vouch that salt sucks as well. They use many tons of it in New Hampshire and your vehicle doesn't stand a chance.

 

BUT, as usual the politicians get a win win situation. Smaller budget they win, give themselves a bigger raise next year to buy a new vehicle as there car will rust as well they win again.

[Son_of_Caveman]

I'm so fucking sick of the government's dick up my ass I could scream. If it weren't for sunshine I'd do myself in.

[b-rock]

Having grown up on the east coast, the land of salted roads, this sux. Hard to find a car out there over 10 years old w/o a rust problem.

[Scott_J]

Its a plot run by the BIG 3! Salt + iron = rusting out piece of shit

[Dave_Schuldt]

Your right ss. FUCKERS

[allthumbs]

Here's the state's solution: WSDOT reminds motorists to wash their cars thoroughly after traveling through mountain passes or other areas where snow and ice have been present, regardless of whether they have driven through a pilot area. All materials, whether salt or other alternative de-icing chemicals, are soluble in water, so the entire vehicle should be rinsed and then cleaned.

 

This is supposedly another feasibility study, for which WA is so famous. I wonder if they will replace any cars adversely affected in this test. Thank Gawd it's not in my neighborhood...yet.

[Jim]

Call or write WSDOT to let them know how you feel

[allthumbs]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jim:

Call or write WSDOT to let them know how you feel

---

I emailed the State the following: I'm writing to express my displeasure in your decision to salt some WA highways. You know that this method is very detrimental to taxpayer's autos. Is the State willing to replace our prematurely rusted out autos? Please reconsider this plan.

 

Granted, it's not eloquent, but at least they know how I feel.

 

[ 11-25-2002, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: trask ]

[Muir_on_Saturday]

 

this totally sucks. i always thought salting roads was just east coast stupidity.

[sk]

okay call me silly, but as I was a salad bar queen for a cupple of years at a restraunt this is what I know... when we set up the salad bar, we put in ICE, and then salted it to keep it frozen harder for longer... Don't ask me why this works, I just know it does, having forgotten to salt the ice on one occasion... so how is that salt can de-ice and keep ice icey???

[allison]

So you, the taxpayers of Washington have consistently voted to lower your taxes, and now you bitch that the gov't is saving money by salting the roads! Perhaps you should have thought of that before you voted to lower your taxes.

 

Washington isd now ranked 49th out of 50 states in per capita $ for roads.

[CascadeClimber]

Water containing dissolved sodium chloride has a lower freezing point than 'plain' water. The idea is to create a wet salt-water layer on the road so that falling snow melts rather than compacting on the road. They add rock salt to make up for the salt-water that runs off into nearby streams and lakes.

 

How much lower the freezing point is depends on how much salt is dissolved in the water. About once every five years in Michigan it would get cold enough to freeze the salt-water on the roads. That made for really great entertainment, as the roads became sheets of ice and there was nothing they could do (they didn't use sand/gravel at all).

[allthumbs]

Point taken Allison, but salting sounds like Locke's way of getting even with us poor taxpayers for shooting down his stupid ideas.