How A New Road Treatment Could Help In Wintry Conditions

While Oklahoma County prepares for winter weather, one Oklahoma County commissioner is adding new resources to make sure roads are safe.

Commissioner Myles Davidson says his district is beginning to use brine, alongside sand and salt, after talking with a Utah company about how to best treat county roads.

The brine acts as what's called a tackifier, Davidson explained. The brine is a pre-treatment that helps the sand stick to the roads.

“We don’t have to worry about the sand being blown off or coming off of the roads because of the cars. It will actually be there while the storm happens and decrease our response times,” Davidson said.

Davidson says they are going to use this new treatment in District 3, his district. District 3 includes Arcadia, Edmond, Luther, and parts of Northwest and Northeast Oklahoma City.

Crews will first test it out on less traveled bridges and overpasses. If it works well, it will be used on a larger scale. 

Davidson also says the county is looking at new technology for its trucks used to spread the salt and brine.

“We’re looking at putting temperature sensors on our dump trucks as they roll through, so we know what our mixture should be, according to ground temps. We’re tracking it all online,” Davidson said.

Davidson says the brine was paid for by state highway funds and if all goes well he will get other commissioners on board.