Travelers on Wheat Ridge streets should notice a bit less slip and a bit more grip this winter.
The city switched to a new, proactive snow and ice control policy last year, which consists of putting chemicals on the street before they turn to ice.
In the storm that hit the area the afternoon of Dec. 8, the city’s plows were hard at work before there was any snow to plow.
Timing is critical, according to Public Works Director Timothy Paranto.
“Being proactive, we will have performed a chemical treatment on all our primary and secondary streets prior to the time we expect the streets to freeze,” he said. “Our goal is to have everything treated one hour before the expected icing.”
If the magnesium-chloride solution is put on the street too early, it could dilute and wash away.
The city has four snow plows, with a fifth on the way. Only one of the current trucks has the capability to spread the liquid de-icer, which is made of magnesium chloride, Caliber and salt brine, but the others have been modified to spread a dry de-icer, made of rock salt.
The city decided to switch to the chemical de-icers to get away from using salt, which causes air pollution and has to be swept up after each storm, according to Paranto.
The chemical de-icers are less harmful to plants and cars than the salt and sand mixture that was formerly used, Paranto said.
Each storm will determine what combination of chemicals is used.
“Again, we’re just using the same program that’s in place with most of the larger cities and state highway programs,” he said.
The de-icers got their first test in November and Paranto said they worked fine then.
For more information on the city’s snow and ice program,
visit the city’s Web site, www.ci.wheatridge.co.us.