Staffordshire County Council’s gritting crews are now officially on standby for bad weather, as the winter gritting season starts.
The third week in October is always the traditional start of the winter season in gritting terms.
From this week, crews will receive live weather updates and winter decision makers will decide when to roll out Staffordshire’s gritting crews and hill contractors.
After putting their machines through their paces and testing their routes earlier this month, including 11 brand new state-of-the-art machines, crews are now primed and ready for when bad weather hits.
From now up until the end of April, road surface temperatures will be monitored closely, with crews rolling out if temperatures drop below freezing.
Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways said:
“The weather might be relatively mild now, but winter weather can arrive quickly and conditions can be very different from one part of Staffordshire to another. That is why we plan ahead, use detailed forecasts and keep a close eye on road temperatures. Our crews, vehicles and salt supplies are ready, so we can act promptly to help keep people travelling safely when freezing conditions are forecast.”
As well as gritting crews, the county council’s hill contractors, who help grit higher ground where traditional gritting machines can’t access, will also be ready to spring into action if needed.
Peter continued:
“When snow reaches Staffordshire’s highest and most rural roads, our local contractors provide the extra support needed to tackle routes beyond the reach of our main fleet. Working alongside our gritting crews, they help us respond across the county and keep these communities connected when the weather is at its worst.”
