Onset of winter in Western Pomerania: road salt almost used up!

Onset of winter in Western Pomerania: road salt almost used up!

In Western Pomerania, winter is really noticeable and brings frosty temperatures and snowfalls. The district road maintenance department in Anklam is currently faced with a shortage of road salt. Winter service has already used 865 tons of the important grit this season, while only 10 tons are still available in the silos. This means that the remaining resources will quickly become scarce, as 300 tons of salt were stored in the silos in Anklam and Behrenhoff at the beginning of the winter season and 800 tons should still be available in the short term. The situation is further complicated by the delivery time of 10 to 14 working days for new deliveries. The NNN reports on the tense situation in the region and the impending delivery bottlenecks caused by the high demand.

In Stralsund, a neighbor of Anklam, the situation is no better. The road salt supplies ran out here on Monday and 130 tons of salt have been used since the turn of the year. The road construction authority has provided the city with 25 tons, but the winter services in the remaining regions of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are well prepared and do not expect any bottlenecks, as NDR reports.

Bottlenecks and frosty times

The road maintenance departments in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania made their preparations early. Nevertheless, there are differences. While the amount of road salt available in Anklam is rapidly dwindling, regions like Greifswald have up to 250 tons in their warehouses. This city has also ordered 150 tons more and is deploying 34 employees in two shifts to deal with the challenges of winter road conditions.

However, freezing water and the resulting slippery roads have caused numerous accidents in various parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Drivers should therefore adapt their driving style to the adverse weather conditions and prepare for the thin layers of ice on bodies of water, which can be extremely dangerous.

Anticipation of new deliveries

The districts and cities are reacting to current developments by placing new orders. In Anklam in particular, a new delivery of road salt is expected in the coming days, which is urgently needed to keep the roads in a safe condition. Meanwhile, the road maintenance depot in Stralsund is supplied by Deutsche Straßen-dienst GmbH, with priority given to motorways and federal highways. However, the delivery situation is exacerbated by a lack of trucks for transport, which further complicates the situation.

Overall, it is clear that winter service is facing a real challenge. Despite the difficulties, many winter services in the region are well prepared. Nevertheless, the district could expect additional costs because the consumption of road salt this year is already higher than in previous years, as the NNN summarizes.