Culture
These Futuristic Roads Can De-Ice Themselves
Researchers are developing salt-infused asphalt as a solution to slippery streets.
To protect drivers and pedestrians from slippery roads and pavements, city governments in snow-hit regions around the U.S. will probably use salt, sand, and even cheese as topical de-icing agents.
According to a 2015 U.S. Geological Survey report, 43 percent of the annual salt production in the U.S., valued at $2.2 billion, was devoted for melting ice on roads. The city of Rochester, New York, for example, purchased 27,000 tons of salt for $46.80 per ton to prepare for this winter, according to NBC News, and it will spend $1 million to have it spread across the city. But other cities that are less familiar with extremely cold weather struggle to find ice-melting supplies in time for the snow.