Politics & Government

PennDOT Stockpiling Another 20,000 Tons of Road Salt

The salt is being delivered to staging areas in Allentown, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

PennDOT, under an order from Gov. Tom Corbett, is speeding up deliveries of much-needed road salt, sending commercial haulers to Wilmington to pick up the winter staple.

Through next Tuesday, some 20,000 tons of road salt will be delivered to staging areas in Allentown, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, PennDOT said. Trucks contracted by PennDOT will work around the clock to ensure the deliveries are made, the agency said.

"Forecasts indicate more winter weather is still in store for Pennsylvania, and these additional steps will put us in better position to ensure our citizens can keep moving as safely as possible," Corbett said. "My thanks to Secretary Barry Schoch and his team for effectively coordinating this special effort."

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Through the middle of the month, PennDOT had used more than 988,000 tons of road salt, a spokesman for the governor said, which is about 32 percent more than average.

Corbett signed an emergency proclamation on Feb. 3 that permitted drivers delivering road salt to be in service for periods beyond normal limits, a move designed to speed up shipments.

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