CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Transportation's latest plan to keep highways safe during the winter involves spraying roads with salt water before storms.

        ODOT will begin using salt water, also known as brine, in parts of Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties in northeast Ohio this month and will return with more spray once the snow has fallen.

        The agency hopes to save money while doing a better job of keeping roads clear.

        The method was first used in the area last year, with trucks from Ashland County applying brine on portions of Interstate 71 in Medina County.

        While the method is being tested, using salt still will be the main way to melt snow and ice in the area. Ninety trucks remain equipped to dump salt on the roads in the three-coun ty district. Two tankers in Cuyahoga County also are equipped to drop salt.

        One of salt's drawbacks is that it's not applied before storms because it won't react without moisture and can be swept away before snow arrives, ODOT District 12 spokesman Paul Wasilewski said.

        ODOT wants to find out when brine is most effective. Early indications from elsewhere are that it does a good job in certain situations.

        “It works,” said Beth Wilson, a spokeswoman for ODOT District 3, which includes Medina County. “It allows us to get a little bit of a head start.”

        The returns also have been positive from Stark County, where ODOT District 4 began using salt water in December.

        “When we have used it at the appropriate temperature, it has been successful,” spokeswoman Jennifer Richmond said.

        Temperature will play a large part in determining when brine is used.

        Mr. Wasilewski said salt water is effective only when the temperature is at least 23, while a salt-calcium chloride combination works well as low as 5 degrees below zero.

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