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Ohio Thanksgiving Winter Travel: Why I-80 Road Salt May Not Be Enough
Columbus, OH – Ohio drivers preparing to travel Interstate 71, Interstate 75 and Interstate 70 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even freshly trea
By Caleb Mercer · 2026-11-11T19:11:39.527Z
Columbus, OH – Ohio drivers preparing to travel Interstate 71, Interstate 75 and Interstate 70 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even freshly treated highways can become dangerously icy when temperatures plunge, creating a hidden winter driving hazard for motorists traveling between some of the state's busiest cities.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, traditional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with its ability to melt ice declining further as temperatures fall into the teens and single digits.
And that's where a common winter driving assumption can become dangerous.
Why Even Salted Ohio Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It works by lowering the freezing point of water, helping melt existing ice and reducing freezing when conditions allow.
However, as pavement temperatures fall, the melting process slows considerably. Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works much more slowly than it does near freezing. Below 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve traction.
For motorists traveling through Columbus in Franklin County, Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Dayton in Montgomery County and Toledo in Lucas County, that limitation matters.
Major routes including I 71, I 75, I 70, I 80/90 and I 77 can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses, elevated ramps and stretches affected by lake effect snow in northeastern Ohio.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto Ohio's major interstate corridors connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and neighboring states.
If snow, freezing rain or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, even treated highways could become dangerously slick.
The risk can increase overnight and early in the morning, when pavement temperatures fall and moisture refreezes.
The Ohio Department of Transportation uses multiple winter maintenance strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, drivers should check National Weather Service forecasts and OHGO.com for updated highway conditions, traffic cameras and travel alerts.
The bottom line: A salted interstate is not necessarily a safe interstate. Motorists should reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches even when pavement appears clear.