Letter to the editor: Bridge collapse shows need for salt alternative

Will anyone be surprised to learn that the cause of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse was corrosion of steel components ( beams, joints, rivets/bolts) and concrete rebar/prestress cables?

Such corrosion is accelerated by the use of salt for snow and ice removal. The ice/snow melt saltwater passes through small cracks and gaps, allowing it to come in contact with the rebar/prestress cables imbedded in the concrete and the bolts/rivets of structural steel joints, initiating hidden destructive corrosion. This accelerated corrosion is hidden from the watchful eyes of bridge inspectors.

The unknown is how many other bridges are on the verge of collapse. One thing is certain, the accelerated corrosive effect of salt is relentless. Replacing bridges/bridge decks in 20 or less years, that can be designed to last 75 years, because of road salt destruction, is not tax money or construction time sustainable. We are presently unable to keep our bridges in safe condition, yet we continue to use a substance that causes the accelerated destruction.

It is long overdue that an alternative for snow and ice removal be developed and implemented. Now, with all the hidden damage caused by salt usage, we must spend hundreds of millions to try and get ahead of the next potential bridge collapse. The destruction is not confined to bridges alone, but also causes road buckling and potholes when diluted saltwater flows through cracks and then refreezes.

Let’s get serious about an alternative to salt for ice and snow removal.

Claude Frantz

Greensburg