LAC LA BICHE - People driving the back roads of Lac La Biche County this year may have noticed more scenery and less dust. According to information from the municipality, this is due to the roads being treated with calcium chloride for dust abatement.
Randi Dupras, Lac La Biche County’s manager of public works, explained that calcium chloride penetrates the road, coating dust, dirt, and gravel, binding them together. The process also results in smoother roads.
“This creates somewhat of a smooth top. Graders, along with other equipment, are used for the application of calcium chloride,” Dupras told Lakeland This Week.
In 2024, Dupras continued, Lac La Biche County received 231 applications for dust control, which equates to 46 kilometres of dust-controlled roads.
Although roads that are treated with calcium chloride don’t need to be graded as often, the municipal officials say every gravel road in the community is graded once every four to 14 days. The number of days, Dupras clarified, depends on the type of road.
Using an example, Dupras explained that arterial roads are high capacity compared to collector roads, local roads, and back alleys, so they may be graded more often.
Calcium chloride, Dupras said, has been used for dust control within Lac La Biche County for more than 25 years. As for how much the municipality spends to treat roads with this chemical, that is dependent on the number of applicants.
“Costs depend on the number of applicants: however, on average, we spend $250,000 annually,” she stated, adding that the County requests quotes from suppliers every year, with one company being its supplier for the past several years.
