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Snowy roads in the Netherlands may be smelling sweet this winter
There seems to be a major salt shortage in the Netherlands this winter. According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, the country normally uses about 70,000 tons of salt to de-ice the roads each winter. So far this year, over 100,000 tons have already been spread on icy roads around the country. If the temps don't warm up fast, the Netherlands could run out of road salt. To combat the shortage, some cities are using sand, which doesn't work as well and is not good for the roads. But at least one town has gotten a little more creative. The town of Etten-Leur has spread 18 tons of scented bath salts on its roads in an effort to keep them ice-free.
So, if you find yourself driving in the Netherlands, you may notice the roads smelling a little sweeter than normal. According to the news report, the "coloured bath salts smell of lavender, green tea and mango."
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Filed under: Europe, Netherlands, Transportation, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Theo Jan 12th 2010 10:29AM
The situation seems to be alright now, with a new shipment of salt coming in and temperatures starting to rise. Personally, I prefer the natural smell of trees and the polder landscape of Etten-Leur to the industrial scent of green tea or mango.