Towns Forced To Find Creative Solutions To Salt Shortage
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Walk into the Sewickley Heights salt dome and the problem is obvious: what's left won't last long.
"Probably tonight, if we get called out before midnight, that's all the longer this salt will last we got here right now," said Road Superintendent Jeff Marek.
And that's with plenty of conservation on the roads of Sewickley Heights.
"Three-quarters of them, we just use anti-skid … we don't use salt and we're even having trouble getting that now too," he said.
During the interview with Marek, workers from nearby Aleppo Township pulled up, hoping Sewickley Heights had a bit to spare, because Aleppo is completely out.
"People say, well only salt the hills and intersections," said Mark Kerr, Public Works Supervisor in Aleppo. "Well, we only have hills, so it doesn't give us much of an option and we have to make sure all the residents are safe."
The sun was helping Monday, clearing main roads and neighborhoods as well.
NewsChopper 2 was back up over the salt depots Monday, watching as the trucks were filled as fast as possible in Belle Vernon. While in West Elizabeth, they were literally scraping the bottom of the barrel.
"The biggest problem is everyone is trying to gain supply at the same time," said Chris Lochner, Manager of Hampton Township.
Lochner says Hampton Township has a lot of road miles and enough salt to handle a couple of bad storms, but that some neighborhoods will only be plowed – and they'll hold off doing anything until the initial part of the storm.
"Now we're actually going to wait until we can plow the snow itself and then we'll plow around 3 a.m. to try and get the opportunity for people to get to work and school," he said.
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