California IN BRIEF : LAKE TAHOE : Caltrans Tests Salt Substitute on Roads

Caltrans is testing a chemical substitute for salt on part of Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe. Crews sprayed liquefied magnesium chloride on a six-mile stretch of the highway between Kingvale and Donner Summit to melt snow and ice, a Department of Transportation spokeswoman said. The chemical is an alternative to salt, which is blamed for killing trees and vegetation and for pitting road and bridge surfaces. The non-corrosive chemical will very likely be used until the snow season ends in the spring, officials said. Earlier this year, the League to Save Lake Tahoe reported counting 7,000 trees on the 72 miles of roadway around the Tahoe Basin that were killed by salt.