Rain causes problems for salt trucks

Why can’t street crews get the salt down on the road before the ice hits? Jefferson City Operations Director Britt Smith says they don’t put down chemicals while it’s raining.

“Salt has increased about threefold,” Smith said, “we try to use as little as possible but at the same time our job is to make that road safe.”

Smith says the problem with spreading salt during near-freezing rain is that it’s immediately washed right off the road. Smith says it takes his crew about 3 to 4 hours to completely clear Jefferson City streets after an average winter storm