A few people in Epsom have been talking about winter road maintenance. As road agent, I’ll try to address the topic.
First, the T2 UNH Roads Scholar Program says “sand is your enemy.” It also says stone is a benefit.
To use sand on roads costs more than twice as much as stone. And when the new EPA regulations kick in, probably around 2022, sand will cost about five times more than stone. These costs do not include the extra ditch cleaning, catch basin cleaning, road sweeping and the time lost in the summer. The total cost to apply sand to roads and then clean it up is between $60 and $80 per ton. With the new EPA regulations, that number hits $130 to $160 per ton – and that doesn’t include the hundreds of hours the Highway Department loses.
The cost of stone is about $30 to $35 and saves the Highway Department time in all four seasons. The stone also has practically eliminated mud season. Using sand on the roads all winter actually makes mud season worse. Using stone to treat icy roads all winter means the stone is already in place when the roads get muddy.
Sand not only fills in the ditches but it also gets into the brooks, streams, ponds, lakes and rivers, which has a negative effect on wildlife and the environment. The airborne silica affects the respiratory systems of humans and wildlife.
Not using sand will help in the effort to clean up the environment and save you money.
GORDON ELLIS
Epsom