St. Louis Plans To Salt All Roads This Week: "Just Too Much Ice Out There Right Now"

Look for something like this (on wheels) in your 'hood soon.

​Every once in a great while we peons here at Daily RFT experience the delusion that perhaps we're making a difference. That maybe someone is actually reading our words and -- shock of all shocks! -- taking us seriously.

We got that strange sense this morning when stumbling across Mayor Francis Slay's blog. Two days ago one of our posts -- explaining why it is St. Louis streets continue to resemble glaciers a week after last week's ice storm -- got dozens of social media shares and more than a few angry comments from city residents unsatisfied with the city's snow-removal policy.

Now today, via the mayor's blog, the St. Louis Street Department's Todd Waelterman, says no more.

Starting today, we will have trucks - about 50 of them - making runs through the residential and tertiary roads. These trucks will not be plowing, but they will be spreading a mixture of salt and sand. For now, that mixture will help to improve traction. This weekend, when we start to see some warmer temperatures, the salt will increase the speed at which the ice melts.

Running our trucks through the side streets -- which we normally do not do, unless there is a particularly hazardous condition reported -- will cost the city an extra $50,000 in taxpayer money. But, the need is clear," writes streets director Todd Waeltermann on the mayor's blog. "There is just too much ice out there right now. We will be out until we get through all of these streets.

Waelterman may want to send one of those trucks, equipped with a needle and an extra-large medical waste bag, to the RFT offices. Our heads about to explode, and it's gonna be messy.