- Operational Services Division
STATEWIDE CONTRACT VEH119 ROAD SALT PROVIDES buyers with Road Salt options for de-icing and anti-icing for winter road maintenance, including Environmentally Preferable options.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the widespread use of traditional Road Salt takes a toll on the environment and personal and public property in various ways, including corrosion to cars, trucks, bridges, and roads; contamination of drinking water; and death and endangerment of plants and wildlife.
Witnessing the long-term costs of Road Salt use has prompted many states, including Massachusetts, to seek alternative ice management solutions. Treated Rock Salt, made up of traditional Road Salt mixed with corrosioninhibited Liquid Magnesium Chloride, is an environmentally preferable alternative available on VEH119. In addition to working as effectively as traditional Road Salt to make the roads safer for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians, Treated Rock Salt offers the following benefits:
- Reduced bounce and scatter, lessening the amount of roadside run-off
- Reduced contamination of the drinking water supply
- Reduced impact on vegetation, aquatic life, and wildlife
- Reduced on-road residue, lessening the need for clean-up efforts following winter weather events and less clogging of stormwater catch basins and streambeds
Although no winter road maintenance solution is entirely without environmental impact, investing in Treated Rock Salt is an environmentally preferable alternative to traditional Road Salt. OSD worked with vendors in a reverse auction process to negotiate for best value pricing based on contract category and MassDOT region. Please consult the Contract User Guide for pricing per ton in your area.
Whether using traditional Road Salt, Treated Rock Salt, or Solar Salt (see descriptions below), buyers are advised to use de-icing solutions in appropriate quantities based on local conditions.
Learn more in the VEH119 Contract User Guide. To express interest in purchasing Road Salt for the 2023-2024 winter season, please complete and return the VEH119 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Note: Although the MOU for this year was due October 13, the OSD Sourcing team continues to accept MOUs until Wednesday, November 1. Please complete the MOU and return it to OSD. No purchases may be made on this contract unless an MOU has been submitted and approved by OSD.
VEH119 Road Salt Categories
Category 1: Road Salt – Traditional mined sodium chloride rock salt.
Category 2: Treated Rock Salt – Rock salt treated with corrosion-inhibited liquid magnesium chloride. * Environmentally Preferable option.
Category 3: Solar Salt* – Formed through the solar evaporation process of seawater and used to pre-treat roadways before a weather event occurs to prevent ice and snow from bonding to the pavement. It also may be sprayed on top of rock salt to accelerate the melting of ice and snow from the pavement. * New to the contract!
