Annual Salt Usage on Alberta Highways

Provincial Highways

• Alberta used approximately 185,200 tonnes of salt in the 2004/2005 winter season to maintain about 27,724 kilometers of two-lane equivalent paved highways. This translates to about 6.68 tonnes of salt per kilometer of highway3.

• This figure provides a solid benchmark, but annual usage can fluctuate based on winter severity and maintenance practices. More recent, province-wide totals are not directly cited in the available search results, but this 185,200-tonne figure is the most specific and authoritative for Alberta highways3.

Major Cities in Alberta

• The City of Calgary applies approximately 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of road salt each year to city streets1.

• The City of Edmonton uses an average of 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of salt annually.

National Context

• Across Canada, more than five million tonnes of salt are used annually on highways, with Alberta contributing a significant share due to its extensive road network and winter conditions68.

Summary Table

Jurisdiction	Annual Salt Usage (tonnes)	Source Year/Note
Alberta Highways	185,200	2004/2005
Calgary (city roads)	40,000–50,000	Ongoing average
Edmonton (city roads)	20,000–30,000	Ongoing average

Key Points

• Alberta applies roughly 185,000 tonnes of salt annually to its provincial highways, based on the most recent detailed data available3.

• Major cities like Calgary and Edmonton add tens of thousands of tonnes to this total for municipal roads1.

• Actual annual usage can vary depending on winter weather severity and evolving road maintenance practices.

If you need more recent or specific annual data for Alberta as a whole, provincial transportation authorities may provide updated figures upon request. However, the 185,200-tonne figure remains a reliable estimate for typical annual salt application on Alberta highways3.

Citations:

1. https://www.calgary.ca/roads/conditions/snow-ice-salt.html
2. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/pollution-waste/road-salts/Annual-Overview-Road-Salts-Report-2014-2019.pdf
3. https://www.tac-atc.ca/wp-content/uploads/hood.pdf
4. https://www.reddit.com/r/alberta/comments/17drom8/do_vehicles_rust_less_in_alberta_than_in_southern/
5. https://ecoforma.ca/still-use-road-salt-alternatives/
6. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/pollutants/road-salts/road-salts-final-five-year-review-progress.html
7. https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/PDF/2019-2020_Surface_Water_Loadings_Evaluation.pdf
8. https://blog.napacanada.com/en/which-provinces-use-road-salt/

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