WORCESTERSHIRE County Council bosses have said its gritting teams are now officially on standby and ready to keep roads safe this winter.
Worcestershire Highways depots are stocked with 17,000 tonnes of salt, including a 5,000 tonne strategic reserve in the event of an unusually harsh winter. Checks are also being made on the county’s 1,233 grit bins to ensure they are full.
The last checks have been actioned and the Worcestershire Highways fleet of 36 gritting vehicles and the teams that drive them are ready to cover Worcestershire’s 1,500 miles of designated roads.
Last winter teams clocked up more than 50,000 miles across the county – the equivalent of more than twice around the world.
Coun Marcus Hart, responsible for Highways, said: “The weather has turned cold very suddenly this year, but our gritting teams are once again ready for the challenge of another winter.
“We are all grateful for the incredible work of our highways crews, who are out in freezing conditions when the majority of people are asleep.
“Despite the fantastic efforts of our teams gritting does not tackle all the risks that cold weather brings. Motorists should take extra care in cold and icy conditions, and, even if a road has been treated, should not assume it is safe to travel at normal speeds.”
There’s also a variety of information on the gritting operations, including interactive maps showing designated routes, which also enables all users to pinpoint the location of their nearest grit bin, on www.worcestershire.gov.uk/gritting. People are also being encouraged to report any issues with grit bins via the www.worcestershire.gov.uk/reportit section.
Residents and businesses can also get the latest on what the teams are up to through the County Council’s Twitter accounts @worcscc or @worcstravel, which will jump into #grittertwitter mode through the winter months.
