After a long and snowy winter, town and state officials are comparing notes regarding what worked to help keep roads clear of ice and snow.
New Canaan used a mixture of salt and molasses to help keep its roads clear. An article in the New Canaan Advertiser explains how the town used a product that is 80% magnesium chloride and 20% food-grade molasses, a combination that melts ice in temperatures down to -15°F and helps the salt adhere to the road while reducing vehicle corrosion.
As mentioned in OLR Report 2014-R-0001, the state Department of Transportation uses magnesium chloride to wet salt before applying it to roads so that it will stick to the road. It also has the advantage of lowering the freezing point of ice.
