Michigan Senate Advances Sugarbeet De-Icing Pilot
Senate Bill 379 would test agricultural additives such as sugarbeet byproducts as alternatives to road salt.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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The Michigan Senate passed SB 379, sponsored by Sen. Roger Victory, creating a pilot program to test agricultural de-icing additives, and the bill has been sent to the governor. The measure targets the heavy reliance on road salt during winter weather.
Why it matters
Salt corrodes roads and vehicles, blows away in extreme weather, and harms Michigan's farms and freshwater ecosystems. Testing agricultural alternatives could reduce the salt reaching water sources across the state.
Novi reports about a 35% savings in salt alone from using liquid additives since beginning beet juice use in 2009. Across the U.S., about 20 million tons of salt are used each year to mitigate icy roads.
The players
Roger Victory
Michigan state senator who sponsored SB 379 and represents the Hudsonville area.
Michigan Department of Transportation
The state agency that would run the pilot program and submit its report to the legislature.
The details
SB 379 would create a pilot program testing agricultural additives, such as sugarbeet byproducts, to improve salt's ability to stick to pavement. The Michigan Department of Transportation would submit a report on the pilot to both legislative transportation committees.
Timeline
2009: The city of Novi began using beet juice on its roads.
June 30, 2025: The MDOT report on the pilot program is due to legislative committees.
Roadmap
Michigan's pilot builds on Novi's municipal use of beet juice since 2009, moving a local practice toward a state-tested alternative to salt-only de-icing. The approach also ties road maintenance to the state's position as a top sugarbeet-growing state.
Drivers in pilot areas could see road treatments that rely less on salt, which can corrode vehicle undercarriages over time. The pilot's results will determine whether such treatments become standard across Michigan roads.
The takeaway
Winter road treatment is shifting toward mixed approaches that pair salt with agricultural additives to reduce environmental and vehicle damage. Watching the pilot's MDOT report will show whether these alternatives hold up across the state.
What happens next
The Michigan Department of Transportation's report on the pilot program is due to the legislative transportation committees by June 30, 2025.
Further reading
For more on the vehicle side of the state's transportation picture, see Electric Vehicles.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Farm Progress.
Live Poll
Should your community use sugarbeet juice instead of salt on icy roads?
