Extreme weather and heavy snowfall this season has meant an unusually high usage of salt on icy roads across Norway. Suppliers now warn that salt deposits are likely to run out, unless the weather warms up.
Salt is used to manage conditions on 15 per cent of the roads in Norway during winter. Efforts to handle a lack of salt include downgrading certain stretches and using sand as a substitute.
Main thoroughfares get priority, but many roads that are typically cleared may now be covered with snow and ice. Lars Erik Hauer, director of road and transport for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) tells TV2, “Along with representatives of county municipalities, we will have to carefully consider which roads this would potentially affect.”
Empty salt depositories will not only be an issue on Norwegian roads, but are likely to have an effect on traffic across Europe.
Views and News staff
