Winter Control: Costly Yet Cutting-Edge
Dave Friary, Barrie’s director of roads, parks, and fleet, says he's heard a lot of feedback about road conditions this winter—primarily complaints.
Despite the grumbling, Friary explains that the city is employing a range of advanced methods to combat the winter weather. However, these efforts come at a significant cost.
“Last year, the road salt budget was $1.28 million, and so far this year, we’ve already spent $1.42 million,” Friary noted, adding that the excess will be covered by reserve funds.
One of the innovative techniques used by the city is treating road salt with beet juice, but only when temperatures plummet.
“When temperatures drop to around -20°C, regular salt stops being effective—it just sits there on the road. The beet juice gives the salt a boost, helping it to work in colder temperatures. As the salt is spread from the truck, we spray it with beet juice, so it's already starting to melt the ice as it hits the ground,” explained Friary.
Although effective, beet juice is expensive, and this winter hasn’t been cold enough to justify its frequent use.
Another tool in the city’s arsenal is pickled sand, which helps prevent ice from bonding to the roads.
“Pickled sand is just sand mixed with about 6% treated salt,” Friary said. “The difference between regular salt and treated salt is that the treated kind already has an activation chemical on it—usually beet juice or a similar product.”
Treated sand is also effective in colder temperatures, reduces bounce compared to salt, and begins working immediately upon contact with the road. However, due to its cost, it’s mixed with regular rock salt.
The city also utilizes salt brine, a solution of salt water mixed to about 23%.
“Before a storm hits, we apply salt brine in a process called anti-icing. This gives us a head start on the storm, and the residual product can stay on the road for up to four days if there’s no precipitation,” Friary explained.
Salt brine helps prevent black ice and keeps snow from sticking to the asphalt.
Ice ruts are among the most frequent complaints this winter, but Friary attributes this issue to the fluctuating weather conditions.
“We’ve seen this problem before—freeze-thaw cycles cause snow to melt, vehicles create tire tracks, and then ice forms, leading to ruts on the roads. This isn’t just a problem in Barrie; Essa, Springwater, and Orillia are dealing with it too,” said Friary.
To address the issue, the city brought in road graders and loaders to scrape streets and remove the ice boulders and chunks.
“That cost about $4,000 a day, with crews working seven or eight days in ten-hour shifts,” Friary noted, adding that he’s still waiting on the final bill.
Despite the challenges, Friary and his team are committed to staying on the cutting edge of winter road maintenance technology.
“The old manual way of salting roads is a thing of the past in Barrie. We were one of the first to use computer controls in our sanders and plows, and now we’re using GPS, our own weather stations, and other advanced tools,” Friary said.
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