For 12 hours at a time, plow drivers in Grandview get to work on drying out the roads.
Before the snow and ice hits, they use a substance that may seem a little unusual. A mixture of beet juice and salt brine is laid prior to winter weather events to help with snow melting.
“We pre-treat with a beet juice and salt brine mixture,” said Grandview Public Works Streets Supervisor Guy Vincent. “We get that down on the streets prior to snows and what that does is lets us get some snow melt now underneath the snow."
Vincent said Tuesday was a “different sort of day.”
His crews pre-treated with beet juice but had to shift gears once the freezing rain began falling.
"With the ice coming down on the bare pavement, we needed to jump right on to salt today,” Vincent explained.
Beet juice is a natural product, making it better for the roads and your vehicle, but it only goes so far.
Vincent said it’s a great tool for pre-treatment and his crews can lay it on the roadways days before snow is expected.
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Lexi Sutter can be reached at alexandra.sutter@kshb.com.
