Saskatoon approves chemical for city-wide use on roads

Winter driving is about to change in Saskatoon with the city rolling out a new mixture of salt and magnesium.
 
Director of Roadways and Operations Brandon Harris said the mix will be better for the usually cold and windy winters.
 
“The wetness of the liquid de-icer activates the salt,” Harris said. “The coarse grain is more difficult to blow off the road, so it’s actually more effective.”
 
It doesn’t mean every road will be clear at all times, but it will help improve street conditions faster than what drivers are used to, according to Harris.
 
Saskatoon isn’t the only city using this method to keep streets clean.
 
Harris said the compound is already widely used in the  (U.S.) Pacific Northwest and throughout the Canadian Prairies.
 
The city’s fleet of trucks has already been outfitted to make the mixture. Harris said there are just a few small bugs to work out before the mix starts seeing use on city streets.
 
The mixture was tested on Circle Drive in a pilot project last winter.