Quincy Department of Public Works brining up local roads?

Brining up things
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– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News

Quincy Department of Public Working brining up local roads?

With old man winter coming around for another visit, so too are snow, road salt and brine applications.

In recent years, Quincy has ceased spreading the long used sand and rock salt mix on snowy streets in favor of pretreating streets with brine before a storm hits whenever possible as well as then plowing snow and spreading rock salt after snow has fallen.

Playing in the snow behind City Hall?
A Quincy Quincy Quarry News file photo

The use of brine offers a variety of circumstances-specific advantages over the use of sand and salt or just rock salt alone.

One is that proper pre-treating with brine mitigates the bonding of snow to the pavement and thus snow and ice disappear more quickly after a snow event. 

Also, while the use of brine is more expensive on a per mile applied basis than spreading sand and rock salt, brine can hasten a return to bare pavement.   As such, the use of brine can help reduce the cost of undertaking other snow and ice clearing efforts.

DPW’s half million dollar salt barn under construction
An old file photo

Additionally, relying on brine instead of sand and rock salt at least mitigates the expense of spring street cleaning to remove sand spread during the winter from both streets and out of storm drain catch basins cisterns, not to mention just about everywhere indoors where people track in sand spread during the winter.  

The pProblems with the use of brine, however, are at least several.

One is that brine’s effectiveness declines the more the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit absent the use of certain additives into the brine mix.  As such, brine is but one arrow in the quiver of those seeking to removal snow and ice from roads and parking lots.

Generating beer byproduct?
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

As such, brine is but one arrow in the quiver of those seeking to remove snow and ice from roads and parking lots.

It must also be noted that brine is variously as well as far more corrosive to motor vehicles than the use of rock salt absent the use of certain additives.

For example, the addition of a relatively modest amount of beet juice byproduct can reduce the corrosiveness of brine by as much as 75% and as can various other food product byproducts as well as byproducts from beer, wine and liquor production.

Brine be all but gone on a busy street
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive photo

Also of importance is that brine should applied as close to the start of a snow event as possible so that it is not blown off the road by passing vehicles. 

Additionally, any snow event for which brining is part of the action plan must be one that does not start out with rain and then turns to snow as the rain will wash away the brine application.

On the eve of the first expected to perhaps be somewhat significant snow event in the Q, however, brine was spread on Quincy streets yesterday – Saturday – morning in advance of a but modest snow event that is not expected to hit until the wee hours of Monday morning. 

Brine be good on quiet side street in the Q
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive photo

As such, brine applications on both the busy as well as increasing mean Quincy streets have for the most part been scattered to the wind given vehicular traffic.

Quincy Quarry considered reaching out to City of Quincy Department of Public Works Commissar Dan “Spanky” Raymondi for comment as to why brine was spread early and so arguably wasted. 

After all, with the New England Patriots playing the Baltimore Ravens at home on Monday Night Football this week, Department of Public Works personnel will surely be as readily available to work at their usual rate of availability for duty on a game day or in this case game night.

DPW Commissar Raymondi
A City of Quincy photo

The Quarry also considered asking Spanky if the City of Quincy is using any additives in its brine mix so as to both improve its range of effectiveness as well as also mitigate its especially corrosive nature upon motor vehicles.

However, it was unanimously decided in the Quincy Quarry newsroom that it was not worth listening to Spanky both not answer these ultimately simple questions as well as instead go on and on and on and on even more about the hardworking men and (some, ed.) women at the DPW when Quincy Quarry as well as ever increasingly more Quincy residents know better.

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