The Connecticut Department of Transportation is helping cities and towns that are facing a road salt shortage after a series of storms have hit the state. So far, 22 municipalities have informed the state that they need help getting more road salt.
Governor Dannel Malloy said on Friday that the DOT is taking a salt delivery of 30,000 tons today at New Haven harbor. The DOT will allow priority for all 88 municipalities to get what they need first, under the state's contract. Cities and towns that do not use the state contract will be able to obtain surplus DOT salt at one of six facilities around the state. Malloy said a second delivery of 45,000 tons is expected later in the week, moved up from February 28 to February 22.
At a press conference, Malloy said, "We have the obligation in the state of Connecticut to keep our interstate highways and the roads that feed into our interstate highways. That's our obligation to the federal government to do that. But I'm not going to simply do that, and allow municipalities in the state of Connecticut not to be able to respond to the needs of their citizenry. We, as a state, are going to be supportive of our municipalities." In a statement, Malloy said he requested that the DOT develop a plan to provide immediate assistance to towns and cities with stop-gap supplies of salt.
Malloy said on Thursday that the state only had enough salt for one more storm. On Friday, he said there is "a little more in the bin than we thought."
Connecticut continued to recover on Friday from the region's latest winter storm. As much as 14 inches of snow was reported in the state. More is expected to come during a storm on Saturday.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.
