Although some snow and possible icy conditions are in the forecast through early next week. Using brine as the primary treatment, Kettering officials expect the treatment to last for at least a few days, as long as there is no major rain to wash it off the roads.
And at the intersection of Marshall and Stroop roads, beat juice has been added to the brine mixture to test it’s added effectiveness. Brine, a mixture of water nearly saturated with salt, lowers theactual freezing temperature to allow for ice and snow to melt when temperatures are below freezing. When beat juice is added to brine, it has been observed to further quicken the actual time span of the melting process.
“The areas on Marshall and Stroop roads that have been treated with the beat juice mixture have proven to be even more effective in the melting of snow and ice than areas treated with just brine”, says Kevin Curely, Kettering Public Service Street Supervisor.
Curley also said that beat juice has been used across the state for a good number of years already, and at this juncture, the City of Kettering is now testing the effectiveness of the added beat juice for cost-effective measures.
“We bought a limited supply of the beat juice mixture during the testing stages”, said Curley.
Curley said that they are also pursuing other avenues of testing with the beat juice mixture. Pre-treating the regular salt supplies is one idea that will be tested in the near future.
Curley and the City of Kettering hope that this trial basis of added beat juice will lead to a more effective road treatment strategy, ultimately leading to safer roads for citizens under a cost-effective umbrella.