Icy Delaware River delays Philadelphia's salt resupply
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A snowstorm and persistent bitter cold are delaying the delivery of road salt to Philadelphia, city officials said Wednesday, as thick ice on the Delaware River continues to slow vessel traffic.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said the Streets Department is waiting for a salt shipment that remains stalled on the river.
"Our streets department is actively awaiting a resupply of road salt from ships that right now again are being blocked in the river by ice," she said.
Large chunks of ice have made it difficult for vessels to reach their destinations, holding up thousands of tons of salt that the city expected before the latest winter storm.
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"Currently, we're waiting for our delivery of about 21,000 tons of salt that was prior to this event," said Streets Commissioner Krista Del Rossi.
According to city officials, two privately owned barges carrying road salt encountered delays because of ice. One barge, carrying 15,000 tons, was rerouted to Paulsboro, New Jersey, where the salt will be unloaded and then trucked to Philadelphia on Thursday.
The second barge is still attempting to move north, and the vessel's owners are considering next steps. That barge is transporting roughly 6,000 tons of salt for the city.
"That's why this barge issue is so important, and we're monitoring it as well as our vendor, but we need to make sure our salt levels are at a sufficient amount so if we get another storm, we'll be out there fighting it," said Carlton Williams with the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives.
The city has used more than 30,000 tons of salt in January and currently has about 15,000 tons available.
Officials said the shipment rerouted to New Jersey is expected to reach Philadelphia on Thursday.
