City crews adjust winter road operations as salt supply strain hits London

It's been a challenging winter for Londoners, and the city is feeling the strain too.

With more snow in the forecast and extreme cold expected to linger over the weekend, the City of London said it's adjusting its winter road maintenance operations in response to a province-wide road salt shortage.

City officials said London was able to maintain regular service levels longer than many Ontario municipalities, thanks to early stockpiling ahead of winter. But the early start to the season, combined with frequent snowfall and sustained cold temperatures, has put pressure on remaining salt supplies and future deliveries.

"To responsibly manage our remaining inventory, recognizing it's only January and there's a lot of winter still to go, we're making some operational adjustments,” the city said in a news release Friday.

Joel Gillard, the division manager of road operations, said salt supplies are under pressure across the province.

"Our teams are adapting to ensure roads remain as safe as possible with the materials we have available," he said.

Beginning this weekend, city crews will increase plowing on major routes to reduce reliance on salt. Priority roads include those serving schools, hospitals and public transit routes. Residential streets will still be serviced, but officials said it may take longer to reach them.

The city will also increase the use of sand mixed with salt to stretch supplies and improve traction.

Sidewalks and bus stops will not be affected by the shortage as the city already relies on sand for residential sidewalks.

Compounding the challenge is a stretch of extremely cold temperatures expected over the next 10 days. At those temperatures, traditional road salt and liquid anti-icing products become far less effective.

"When temperatures drop this low, salt simply doesn't work the way people are used to," Gillard said. "Our crews will continue plowing and sanding to provide safer conditions, but bare pavement won't always be possible."

City officials are urging drivers to adjust expectations and driving habits, warning that roads may remain slippery even after plowing and sanding.

More information and ongoing updates about snow clearing in London is available at london.ca/snow.