Despite mild winter: lots of salt on Thuringian highways
The mild winters of recent years have not led to less salt being used on Thuringia's highways. "Consumption is relatively constant," said a spokesperson for Autobahn GmbH des Bundes on Monday. At temperatures around freezing point, for example, brine is sprayed as a preventative measure. Salt is then also used for clearing. According to the Thuringian climate report, the winter of 2022/2023 was the twelfth excessively warm winter in a row in Thuringia.
The Thuringian freeway maintenance depots are starting this year's winter season with full salt stores. According to the spokesperson, a total of 9,000 tons of salt and 850,000 liters of brine are stored in the four maintenance depots in the state. There are also depots along the route. If required, it can be reordered again and again via annual contracts. The majority of the salt used on Thuringian freeways comes from Sondershausen (Kyffhäuserkreis).
Difficult to find new recruits
For the 166 employees of the highway maintenance depots in Breitenworbis, Erfurt, Hermsdorf and Zella-Mehlis, the winter service, which runs until the end of March, means a lot of extra work. In case of doubt, the spokesperson said that clearing and gritting would be carried out around the clock in shifts. Other tasks, such as the maintenance of trees and shrubs, which is scheduled until the end of February, would then have to take a back seat.
According to the spokesperson, seasonal workers are also deployed in some cases. It is difficult to find good new recruits, but the winter service is secure.
According to Autobahn GmbH, the approximately 55 winter service vehicles in Thuringia cover around 1000 kilometers of road. The routes are divided into so-called clearing loops, which are completed in one and a half to two hours. The routes are prioritized, followed by the junctions and finally the rest areas.
Despite the challenging weather conditions during winter service, the use of salt remains crucial for maintaining traffic safety on Thuringian highways, even in mild winters. Due to the constant consumption, stockpiles must be sufficiently large, such as the 9,000 tons of salt stored in the state's winter service depots.
Source: www.dpa.com
