Secret ingredient to combat slick roads comes from a vegetable

Care for some beet juice? Maybe beet juice doesn't appeal to the taste buds, but it does have some advantages when keeping highways clear of snow and ice.

Brian Okenfuss, MoDOT area Engineer in Southeast Missouri, explained some of the ingredients that are used on Missouri Highways during winter storms. One of the ingredients is beet juice.

"Beet juice has a lower freezing point than water," Okenfuss said. "Before a storm arrives, we spread a salt brine that contains beet juice. The beet juice works well because it's stickier than water, and it will adhere better to the roads."

"Rock salt is used while the storm is going on," he continued. "Rock salt lasts longer -- like if it rains -- it doesn't wash away as easily as the brine."

"Below 20 degrees, the salt doesn't work," said Stan Johnson, MoDOT District Maintenance Engineer. "To help with tire traction, the rock salt can contain ingredients such as sand and cinder."

"We mainly focus on the storm that is happening on that day," Okenfuss stated. "We have a weather service that we're in constant contact with.

"Taking care of the Missouri roads during a winter storm is a lot more complicated than just sending trucks out and putting something on the road," Okenfuss said. "We treat each storm differently with what will work best for each situation."

And sometimes, that efficient elixir treatment might include a splash of beet juice.