Load of Road Salt Stuck in Maine

With another winter blast expected to bring a light coating of snow to parts of the Garden State on Wednesday, a load of much-needed rock salt is still stuck on a barge in Searsport, Maine, the Asbury Park Press has reported.

New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Simpson told the Asbury Park Press that the barge carrying 9,500 tons of road salt is still in Maine. The state "purchased a total of 40,000 tons of salt, which has been sitting on a dock awaiting transport," the APP reported.

Simpson told the APP that NJDOT "has enough salt to cover two storms." The state is expected to get minimal amounts of snow north of Monmouth County on Wednesday, possibly up to an inch in some spots.

Some of the salt that the state has ready to cover the next storm came from an International Salt Company ship. The barge docked last week in the Newark port. DOT Spokesman Joe Dee told Townsquare Media last week that not all of the salt being delivered by International Salt, the state’s main supplier, will go to the DOT.

Simpson told APP that with 40,000 tons of salt on the docks in Maine, it's estimated that 60,000 tons would be needed "to replenish empty state, county and municipal salt domes throughout New Jersey."