Illinois Communities Scramble To Find Road Salt

CHICAGO (AP) — Nearly 200 Illinois communities are scrambling to find road salt after last winter's record frigid temperatures and snowfall depleted supplies.

It's likely the price will be much higher — possibly double what they paid last year — if they are able to find any vendors willing to sell them road salt.

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services this month informed many city and county officials in charge buying road salt that no vendors responded to their requests for bids.

More than 560 communities participated in the solicitation for road salt bids. Department spokesman Mike Claffey says 367 communities received bids from salt vendors and 195 did not. The department has offered to seek new bids from vendors, but has also told public works departments to explore other alternatives.

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