VTrans Shares Plan to Ration Limited Road Salt Supplies

The state agency is asking contractors to pause deliveries to focus on other customers amid a regional shortage.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has announced a plan to temporarily pause salt deliveries to its own facilities next week, in order to allow vendors and trucking partners to focus on providing limited salt supplies to other customers across the region. This comes as Vermont has been grappling with a widespread salt shortage that has led to slick road conditions.

Why it matters

Road salt is a critical resource for maintaining safe driving conditions during the winter months, especially in northern states like Vermont that experience heavy snowfall. The regional shortage has forced VTrans to find creative ways to distribute its limited salt supplies as equitably as possible across the state.

The details

VTrans shared on Facebook that it is offering current salt contractors the option to pause deliveries to VTrans facilities next week. This will allow vendors and trucking partners to focus on delivering the scarce salt supplies to all of their other customers, rather than prioritizing state-owned roads. The goal is to spread the limited resources as widely as possible across the region.

  • VTrans announced the plan on Thursday, February 6, 2026.

The players

Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans)

The state transportation agency responsible for maintaining Vermont's roads and highways.

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The takeaway

This creative rationing approach by VTrans demonstrates the challenges posed by the regional road salt shortage, and the need for innovative solutions to ensure safe winter driving conditions across Vermont and the surrounding area.