The last winter maintenance season (from October 1, 2024, to May 1, 2025) saw us taking action on 24 days to combat slippery conditions, despite the mild winter. This is 6 days more than last year. A total of 69.5 million kg of salt was spread last season.
Spreading Salt Until the Roads Are Black Again
A total of 69.5 million kg of salt was spread this season. This is more than last year (64 million kg) and equal to the multi-year average (80 million). The first national salting action took place on November 20, 2024. The most effort was needed on November 21 and 22, 2024, when approximately 6 million kg of salt was spread. The salting trucks drove a total of about 962,000 km this season, which is approximately 24 times around the world.
Emergency Machines Deployed at Crucial Moments
The emergency machines, the Lavastorm and both Firestorms, were deployed this season on 7 days. For instance, the Lavastorm was deployed on November 21, 2024, during heavy snowfall in Groningen and on the N9, where ice formation temporarily made the road impassable. Thanks to this deployment, stubborn ice sheets could be tackled.
Targeted and Economical Salting
We salt very specifically and as economically as possible. During preventive salting actions, meaning when there is a chance of slippery conditions, we spread an average of 14 grams of salt per m2. That is about 1 teaspoon. This is enough to ensure safety on our national roads, and we do not unnecessarily burden the environment. The routes and salt distribution per route are calculated and programmed in advance to salt as economically as possible and avoid wasting salt.
Interest in Online Salting Map
In addition to on the road, the salting trucks were also visible online. On our Salting Map , it was visible where and when they were active. On days with winter weather, the map was visited frequently. On the first national salting day on November 20, 2024, there were as many as 33,000 unique visitors. Last season, the online salting map was viewed by 105,000 unique visitors.