PennDOT putting something extra into the mix to melt snow, ice

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PennDOT says despite the arctic blast, it is having some good luck clearing the highways. 

Spokesman Gene Blaum of PennDOT says when crews found out the single digit temperatures were coming they put an additive in their salt mix.

 “On Tuesday night we began mixing calcium chloride into the road salt in our trucks so when our trucks are spreading they are spreading road salt mixed with calcium chloride,” Blaum said. “That was done because calcium chloride lowers the freezing point for the water to below zero.”

Blaum says crews now are basically in a cleanup operation on major highways. With some help from the sun it should soon be complete.

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“Our major expressways in the city of Philadelphia and the four suburban counties are in very good condition,” he said. “The suburban counties now our crews are concentrating on some of the less traveled highways where we do still have some snow on the roadways.” 

Of course PennDOT covers the highways and major roads, the secondary and small roads are entirely another matter.

Philadelphia is not using the enhanced snow melter, but is considering it in the future.

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