How very strange

[Pumper]

Salt Brine! The hated solution to keep the snow from accumulating when a snow fall is forthcoming.
Usually can be seen as about 10 strips running down the road. This has been going on in Southern Ontario for many years and in the spring if you go for an early ride you will find the bike covered in dried salt spray. If this happens an immediate wash job must be done.
A pavement pounding rain storm is the only way the brine still left on the road is washed away.
As for why do they put it on when there doesn’t seem to be a reason is because of the highway departments road budget.
Having been a gov’t employee for 35 years I have seen management burn their budget up anyway they can so they can apply for more next year.
If you don’t use it you will loose it. Managers will buy anything they can at year’s end just to use up their budget. So if there is excess salt or brine in the early spring plans are being made to use it A.S.A.P.

Spot on analogy!!

The States started with brine about the same time...and have been trying all sorts of chemical combinations.

[Paul B Blues]

Here in the Highlands of Scotland we have the opposite problem. Due to financial cut backs they are not salting the roads unless it's absolutely necessary. Even then it's only during daylight hours! So there has been a huge increase in RTA's and folk with broken bones. But hey, when it rains the salt will be off the roads quicker