Ohio faces higher road salt prices this winter

CLEVELAND (AP) — An extremely harsh winter has driven up road salt prices throughout state and has forced the Ohio Department of Transportation to contract with an Indiana company to buy less-expensive salt for delivery this winter.

An agency spokesman says road salt prices averaged around $35 a ton last year because of previous mild winters and an abundant supply. But last winter’s relentless cold and snow left salt sheds barren and depleted inventories at mines throughout the region.

Prices in some counties this year are roughly triple last year’s. ODOT recently sought bids for each of Ohio’s 88 counties but rejected some of them because they were too high.

The state in the last few days has decided to buy less-expensive salt from a company in Indiana.