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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2026 |
As winter storms approach, the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) is always thinking about proactive steps to keep drivers safe. One of the most important tools in our winter maintenance strategy is salt—and here’s why.
"When it gets colder than 32 degrees, water turns into ice—and in Maine winters, that can happen fast,” said Cyndi Farrell, MTA spokesperson. “Salt helps stop ice from building up and makes it melt quicker. Brine works even better at breaking down ice because it’s already liquid, so it starts working right away and sticks to the road—only where and when it’s needed.”
Farrell added, “We know Mainers rely on our highway to connect communities, access essential services, and to keep commerce moving. Even when conditions call for staying put, not every job or situation allows for that. It’s our responsibility to keep the road as safe and reliable as possible so this critical corridor remains open. Every storm is different, and our crews work around the clock in a snow storm to respond quickly—because safety is always our top priority.”
Why Salt and Salt Brine
MTA uses a salt-priority method—a combination of natural mined salt rock and salt brine—to treat the road, exit ramps and bridges along the Turnpike during storms. Salt is pre-wet as it drops down the snowplow chute and into the spinner, reducing scatter and keeping it in the lane where it’s most effective. Brine acts as an activator, kickstarting the salt so it works faster to create a protective layer between the roadway and falling snow. This application prevents ice bonding and makes plowing easier.
While salt is a naturally mined product without added chemicals, everything applied to roads eventually enters the soil and watershed. That’s why MTA uses a salt-priority approach strategically—applying only what conditions require and leveraging brine to reduce overall salt use.
Smart Application Based on Real-Time Conditions
Our road sensors continuously report pavement temperature, while traffic cameras monitor snowfall rates and locations on the Turnpike. This data determines when brine is applied and how much. That’s why motorists sometimes see brine coming out of the plow spinner and sometimes they don’t—MTA only uses brine when temperature and conditions call for it.
How Brine Is Made
MTA produces salt brine on-site at each maintenance camp using a controlled mixing system. The process takes place in a large, heavy-duty plastic tub connected to a generator that aerates the water, ensuring thorough dissolution of salt and preventing settling during production. Once ready, each batch is tested with a hydrometer to verify the precise sodium-to-water ratio for optimal performance based on Maine’s road conditions. A single batch yields approximately 1,200 gallons, which can be pumped directly into plow truck brine tanks or stored in dedicated reservoirs at maintenance camps for future use.
Operational Benefits of Salt
Choosing salt over sand isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about sustainability too. Sand can clog the Turnpike’s engineered drainage systems and is known to bind pollutants that seep into the soil. Salt avoids these issues and makes it a more responsible choice for Maine’s busiest highway.
Why It Matters
The Turnpike is Maine’s safest highway. Keeping the road clear isn’t just about freight—it’s about people. This corridor gets nurses to hospitals, teachers to classrooms, and workers to businesses across the state. It’s Maine’s busiest highway and the safest by design, making it essential for daily life and the economy.
Maine Turnpike’s reputation for snow clearing stems from our operational model. Seven maintenance camps span from Kittery to Augusta, each with a dedicated plow crew, on-site brine production, and a salt barn stocked for quick application. The system reflects a level of innovation and care that’s unmatched in Maine. While most municipalities plow their own roads and Maine DOT covers vast territories that take longer to clear, the Turnpike’s funding model allow for the state’s busiest corridor to remain open during winter storms.
The Maine Turnpike adheres to EPA best management practices and follows Maine DOT guidelines for recommended salt application rates to ensure safety while protecting the environment.