PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said Friday it will be using a new method of road pre-treatment prior to the forecasted winter storm on Saturday. Some 2 to 4 inches was forecasted, beginning with the early morning hours.

Starting Friday, the Department expected to be applying a salt brine solution on a test portion of I-95 North and South, from Exit 7 in West Greenwich to the area of Exit 20 in Providence.

RIDOT will later evaluate the effectiveness of the salt brine during this weekend’s storm and hopes to expand its usage to other highways and roads.

According to the plan, two trucks on Friday were to apply the saltwater concentrate beginning with the low-speed lanes and continue until the entire section of I-95 had been treated.

The highway will appear wet for some time, officials said, but as it evaporates, a thin layer of salt will remain on the roadway. When snowfall begins, say officials, it will prevent ice and snow from bonding with the pavement.

Salt brine is advantageous because it can be applied up to three days before the storm, providing an initial treatment of salt at the beginning of snowstorms when roads often become slick very quickly, say officials.

“We think this new technology will keep roads clearer longer, but motorists should not expect snow-free surfaces at all times, as all storms vary in intensity,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said.

Once a snowstorm is under way, RIDOT works to plow and apply sand and salt to keep the roads as clear as possible. A key goal is to keep a slushy, briny solution on the pavement surface, which keeps the snow from becoming compacted and then freezing. This method also quickens final clean up once the storm is over.