Grand Forks Streets Department waiting to use new de-icer fluid

WDAZ's Danielle Saitta tells us why the Grand Forks Streets Department's newest tool was not used and when it will be again.

Icy roads will always call for cautious driving. Even with sand put down by the streets department in Grand Forks -- the roads were still slippery.

"You have to have a little common sense of the road conditions and you have to slow down,” says Michael Nelson. 

“When it hits winter, I'm driving miss daisy -- the other day when we had the blizzard I was going twenty-five,” says Mary Senum.

But even with cautious drivers and sand -- traction can still be terrible.

Before the blizzard last week, the city's new de-icer fluid known as Liquid Amp was put down.

“It looks just like ice except when the sun hits it it melts,” says Michael Nelson. 

It has had positive reviews while on the road -- however this is not exactly a miracle de-icer -- it has its flaws

“There's a lot that doesn't quite work for North Dakota,” says Mary Senum. 

'Liquid Amp,' is supposed to work better in colder temperatures than regular salt brine. City crews say it can melt snow and ice up to fifteen degrees below zero -- but because the roads are wet -- the streets department tells me they're waiting to put the fluid back on the roads until temps reach the twenty’s, otherwise this frost remover will serve it's opposite purpose and freeze -- making the roads icy.

“I know a lot of people don't like it because it gets salt on their cars but you can't have it both ways, you either have clear roads or salty cars,” says Michael Nelson. 

While the sand and salt option isn't a perfect solution -- it's what the city of Grand Forks is sticking with for now.

The department tells us they have plenty of their trial amount Liquid Amp left, and they're waiting for the temperatures to rise this week before using the fluid again.