Peoria running low on road salt

PEORIA - Local public works crews have been busy all winter, and now, they're in need of more road salt.

Peoria Public Works Director David Barber said the city has already dumped about 15,500 tons of salt on the roads this winter, costing more than $432,000. That's more than was used all of last winter and twice as much as the two previous years.

"We're going to go as sparingly as we can with the salt we have now," he said.

To combat the problem, the Peoria City Council will be asked to approve a contract for about $212,000 to purchase more salt.

The city has nearly 4,000 tons on hand, and the contract would cover up to another 5,000.

Barber said other areas across the Midwest have faced similar shortages.

In Peoria Heights, Public Works Director Bob Roth also has experienced problems.

"We're doing OK right now, but we're having to find different sources for salt," he said. "If this keeps up, it could cause problems down the road."

Source: http://www.pjstar.com/stories/020608/TRI_BFN4R04P.049.php