More road salt coming to Ohio

COLUMBUS — The state Controlling Board OK’d another outlay today to purchase salt to replenish winter-depleted supplies.

The latest request from the Ohio Department of Transportation was for more than $2 million to buy about 30,000 tons of salt from Cargill De-Icing Technology Inc. and Morton Salt Inc.

State officials are purchasing 20,000 tons from Cargill at a cost of $73.88 per ton and 10,000 from Morton at a cost of $56.75 per ton, according to documents.

ODOT has come before Controlling Board repeatedly in recent months seeking approval to purchase more salt.

The agency has used more than 1 million tons of salt so far this winter, at a cost approaching $117 million, according to spokesman Steve Faulkner.

That’s well above the 731,757 tons and $80 million spent during the winter of 2012-13 and 370,447 tons and $44 million spent in 2011-12.

Over the past decade, the state has used an average of 630,000 tons of salt at an average cost of $62 million.

Faulkner said ODOT plow drivers have covered more than 14 million miles or road during the season.