Beet The Ice: 5 Things To Know About Oklahoma City's Beet Juice Road Treatment Process

The snow isn't here yet, but Oklahoma City crews are treating the streets with a unique mixture.

The city has used beet juice for three years to help keep ice off roads. 

Here are five things to know about the process.

1. OKC Public Works crews treat roads ahead of storms.  

When OKC’s salt barn springs to life - a storm is on the horizon. 

“This is the Midwest, and you don’t know what’s gonna happen,” said Mike Love Jr., OKC Public Works Emergency Operations Manager. “We have thirty-two trucks that get mounted on a full-blown operation like what we’re going into this.” 

Love Jr. has been through storm preparation with OKC for 22 years. He started his career behind the wheel treating OKC’s roads and now manages a team of drivers with the same responsibility.  

“It’s a calling,” Love said. 

2. Treatment trucks and snowplows need space on the road.  

Street crews remind drivers every winter to give them room to work on the road. 

“We have signs on the back of the truck that say stay back a hundred feet,” Love said. “Do us the deed and stay back.” 

3. Salt loses effectiveness below 10 degrees.

Winter in Oklahoma has been colder for longer periods, and OKC’s public works department needs a brine mixture that can withstand lower temperatures.

Three years ago, the city started testing beet juice on its roads.  

“Making us better at what we do when we need to be,” Love said. 

4. Beet juice works better in sub-zero temperatures. 

Mike said beet juice works better in below-zero temperatures. They’ve seen the results for three years. 

“It’s been very productive for us,” Love said. “I’ve seen it break up ice pack in minutes.” 

No matter what secret sauce they use, they aim to beat the storm to the finish line. 

“It’s a lot of fun. I've always enjoyed doing it,” Love said. “It’s a way to give back.” 

5. Avoid driving during winter storms if you can. 

Love said to do what you need to before the storm hits and stay home so they don’t become part of the problem.

OKC roads officials said drivers should pack warm clothes and have their vehicles checked before driving in winter conditions.