PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Providence has run out of salt and Rhode Island's Department of Transportation is running low as winter drags on.

Providence spokeswoman Liz White says the city exhausted its salt supply Thursday. The city will use sand to treat roads until a new salt shipment arrives early next month.

Rhode Island's Department of Transportation has between 4,000 and 5,000 tons of salt left — less than it typically uses for a significant storm. Resupplies should arrive next month. Until then, the state is using a mix of salt and sand and says it is prioritizing major intersections and highways like Interstate 95.

So far this winter the state DOT has used 126,000 tons of salt to treat snow and ice, compared to an average of 85,000 tons in recent winters.

 

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