This provides a salt-water mixture which flows across the roadway, ensuring the most efficient and effective use of the material. The Ministry of Transportation employs and recognizes the importance of best salt management practices. The ministry will continue to investigate ways to control and reduce salt usage while ensuring highway safety. Providing Traction Sand is useful as an abrasive to provide traction on slippery surfaces. Unlike salt, it does not melt snow and ice.
Sand is used most often when temperatures are too low for salt to be effective.
Sand is also used at higher temperatures if traction is required immediately, particularly on hills, curves, bridge decks, shaded areas, intersections, and on snow packed roads. Extra caution should be exercised when driving in these road conditions. Traffic volumes and road function determine how quickly highways are serviced. A severe or long storm may delay restoration to normal conditions, even with the best efforts of crews. Bare pavement on other sections of the Trans-Canada is to be reached within 16 hours.