In another form it might have been useful for keeping roads open and free from ice, but the beet juice spill that happened near Fredonia on Tuesday shut down the highway instead. The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office reported the incident at about 6:20 a.m. on Tuesday at the intersections of Ozaukee County Highways “H” and “I” in the Town of Fredonia.
Investigation indicates that a semi-tractor was hauling an open, uncovered dump trailer full of beet bi-product from Lakeside Foods in Belgium to a farm in the Town of Saukville. The rig was westbound on “H”, and while turning onto Highway “I”, spilled a large amount of the product onto the roadway. Beet juice is often used during the winter to control ice formation, but only after being mixed with brine.
The intersection was closed for about 90 minutes while crews from the Ozaukee County Highway Department along with the Fredonia and Waubeka Fire Departments cleared the debris off the roadway. The Sheriff said that enforcement action against the driver, 53-year-old Jason Vorpahl of Random Lake, is pending further investigation.
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