Kane County Training Promotes Smarter Salting Strategies for Winter Roads
As winter approaches, around 30 snow plow operators and public works professionals from agencies across the region gathered at the Kane County Division of Transportation (KDOT) for an annual workshop focused on keeping roads safe while using road salt more efficiently.
The Winter Best Practices for Public Roads workshop, held Sept. 24 at KDOT, was presented through the Salt Smart Collaborative, a partnership coordinated by The Conservation Foundation. The program brings together municipalities, public agencies, watershed organizations and other partners to promote winter maintenance practices that protect both public safety and local waterways.
Hanna Miller, is the Watershed Project Manager for The Conservation Foundation and Salt Smart Program Coordinator. She said the workshop focuses on practical techniques that can help snow plow operators use the right amount of salt at the right time and under the right conditions.
That includes paying attention to pavement temperature when determining how much salt is needed, calibrating equipment to ensure the proper amount of salt is being spread, and prioritizing snow removal rather than relying on salt to melt snow away.
Operators also learned about the use of liquid deicers to help jump-start the melting process and improve the effectiveness of salt applications.
“It's a variety of good practices that keep the motoring public safe while reducing the environmental damage," Miller said.
Additionally, these techniques can also save money by preserving the amount of salt used in a season.
And that's timely. This year communities are facing an uncertainty surrounding the availability of road salt. The Illinois Department of Central Management Services conducted a statewide joint purchasing process for the 2026-27 season, including a bulk rock salt contract. The state also issued emergency purchasing opportunities for governmental units and Illinois Department of Transportation locations that did not receive quotes through the regular process.
Kane County was able to secure its road salt supply and was not affected by the purchasing difficulties experienced by some other communities. The County's salt purchase also serves the township road districts supported by KDOT.
Even with a secure supply, the cost of salt has increased. According to KDOT, treated salt increased from $93.83 per ton last year to $123.28 per ton this year, while dry salt increased from $83.50 per ton to $103.28 per ton. KDOT anticipates using approximately 8,000 to 9,000 tons of salt during the winter season.
Road salt is an important tool for winter safety because it lowers the freezing point of water and helps melt snow and ice. But chlorides from salt can eventually reach rivers and streams, where they can harm aquatic life and vegetation. Salt also is corrosive to infrastructure. The Salt Smart Collaborative works with public agencies and private contractors to promote practices that reduce unnecessary salt use while maintaining safe travel conditions.
KDOT uses an enhanced rock salt mixture designed to improve melting efficiency and reduce the corrosive effects of salt. The department also uses anti-icing techniques, applying liquid salt brine to dry pavement before a storm when conditions warrant. Brine can be used strategically on areas such as curves, hills and bridges to help prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement.
The Conservation Foundation offers Salt Smart workshops throughout the fall for public road agencies as well as private contractors responsible for parking lots and sidewalks.
