To help keep City of Sequim roads safer this winter, city crews will be using magnesium chloride in liquid form as a de-icing agent in key areas such as overpasses, hills, intersections, and roundabouts. Crews began laying the de-icing agent on Friday, December 1.
“It’s ideal to get the magnesium chloride down when the roads are dry without any rain,” said City of Sequim Streets Manager Mike Brandt. It is effective for temperatures between 40° F and – 15° F.
Magnesium chloride is an environmentally safe product that is over 85% less corrosive than salt and has half the toxicity of baking soda. The City of Port Angeles and the Washington State Department of Transportation also use magnesium chloride. It has been used for decades nationwide and has shown no adverse effect to the streets, surrounding plants, or the overall environment.
Magnesium chloride is a cost effective de-icing agent costing the City of Sequim approximately $500 to $1,500 per year compared to road salt at $5,000 to $8,000 per year and sand at $6,000 to $10,000 per year plus the cost of extra street sweeping to pick up the sand after each storm event. The City will also be experimenting with applying magnesium chloride to sidewalks at key locations this winter.
Residents can expect to see some damp streaks in a striping pattern on the roads where the de-icing agent is laid down.
Please contact City of Sequim Streets Manager Mike Brandt at 360-683-4908 or mbrandt@sequimwa.gov with questions.