The sugar beet juice is brown in color so salt mixed with it is somewhat brown. The liquid is a by-product of sugar production.

Annually, MoDOT spends approximately $41 million on snow and ice removal. Last year, approximately 3,500 dedicated employees spent more than 554,000 hours using the 1,650 snow-removal vehicles, which added up to $43 million on snow and ice prevention and removal.

“Although we’re constantly looking for new products to clear roads better, and our crews are out there working hard to keep them clear, it is also the motorist’s job to drive cautiously, pay extra attention to signs and drive defensively,” Carney said. “Remember to give snowplows plenty of room to work, don’t tailgate and try not to pass.”