WINSLOW, Maine — As the snow starts to melt during the 40-degree temperatures this week, it can make for dangerous conditions at night as the temperatures drop below freezing. That danger is even worse in Maine communities now facing a shortage of road salt.
Paul Fongemie, Winslow public works director, said Winslow is just one of roughly 100 towns and cities across the state that contract with Morton Salt through the Maine Dept. of Transportation.
A road salt shipment from overseas has been delayed by more than a week, leaving communities like Winslow in a bit of a panic with dwindling supplies.
Ahead of Monday night's storm, truck drivers were out sanding the roads.
"Sand won't melt the ice you know it won't drop the freezing point. It'll give you traction but it doesn't break up the ice," Fongemie said.
Fortunately, the town received a couple of loads of salt Tuesday morning, a few that came from Morton Salt in Portland, and an emergency order placed with Bangor-based "New England Salt."
"They're the only supplier in the state that currently has salt on the ground everybody else is waiting for more supplies," Erica Lacroix, Winslow town manager, said.
Their supply available for town residents was still empty as of Tuesday.
Other cities like Augusta, Ellsworth, and Belfast haven't had issues yet this year, purchasing their salt from Maine-based companies.
"My immediate concern was for the safety of the residents and anyone else who travels through Winslow. Honestly, we have a fairly large volume of people who just pass through Winslow on a daily basis," Lacroix said.
Emergency orders with other companies are not without a cost, though.
"It's not the end of the world, but if we had to do it the rest of the winter it would have a serious financial impact," Fongemie said.
"We're not going to not spend money at the expense of potential hazards to the public," Lacroix said.
In the meantime, Winslow town officials hope drivers will continue to be careful and cautious on the potentially icy roads.
Fongemie said he hopes to receive the delayed salt shipment sometime next week.