Metro

Icy road? Just beet it

New York really is the home of the Borscht Belt.

Officials will douse the New York State Thruway with 50,000 gallons of beet juice this winter, an anti-icing measure that’s cheaper and less corrosive than salt.

But don’t expect purple roads. The beet mix also includes brine and other liquids, giving it a brownish hue.

Beet juice is particularly effective on the state’s 570-mile highway system because it can be used before snow falls to prevent ice from forming. That helps reduce employee overtime costs, officials said.

It does not eliminate the need for salt, but works with it.