Information on Loughborough

Gritters geared up for cold snap

Posted on 16/12/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council

15 December 2009

Gritters geared up for cold snap

Gritters are on standby and ready to treat Leicestershire's roads, residents are being reassured.

With snow and cold weather expected later this week, drivers are also being urged to take extra care, plan their journeys and stick to the main roads.

When ice is forecast, 45% of the road network is treated including most A roads, some B and C class roads, major commuter and bus routes and as far as is possible, at least one route through all Leicestershire villages.

The County Council has 17 gritters which spread roughly 150 tonnes of salt each night, covering 1,200 miles of highway.

Barns are stocked up and contain around 13,000 tonnes of salt - more than enough to last throughout the winter.

Lesley Pendleton, County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "We keep an extremely close eye on the weather to ensure our roads are kept safe but would advise drivers to take extra care during difficult conditions."

Although the County Council will grit 45% of the road network when it’s icy, drivers are still warned to take care and never to assume that any road is completely ice free.

In a cold winter, frost and ice usually appear across the whole surface of a road. Motorists are urged to drive carefully as braking distances can be up to 10 times longer in icy conditions.

Leaflets showing the gritting routes can be downloaded from the County Council's website at www.leics.gov.uk/winterdriving or a copy can be obtained from local libraries or Council Offices.