|
Ref: 06/09 8th January 2009
Cheshire’s Gritting Fleet On Standby For Bad Weather
In just a month from December 6 to January 6 around 8,400 tonnes of grit have been spread on Cheshire roads – around half the amount for a usual winter.
Cheshire County Council’s Highways Service and its maintenance contractor BAM Nuttall have been coping with one of the worst spells of winter weather in recent years.
In the same period - December 6 08 to January 6 09 - gritting crews clocked up 2,602 hours and covered 36,000 miles
The main problem earlier this week was that temperatures across Cheshire were very low and rain fell, washing off the salt and freezing despite subsequent salting.
“Our priority is to maintain safe driving conditions on the main routes but we have also salted secondary routes and some footways which we will continue to do with the resources available whilst difficult conditions persist” said Cheshire’s Highways and Transportation Executive Member Eveleigh Moore-Dutton.
“Engineers and gritting crews have been working flat out to keep roads open and the hectic schedule is shown by the fact that we have used in a month almost half the grit that normally would be used for the whole winter.
“We receive up to the minute weather information from the Met office and have real time road temperature information from our ice prediction system and are ready to deal with this severe weather and continue salting.”
Around 1200 miles of roads are treated which is about 40 percent of the road network in Cheshire.
Priority 1 Routes are all ‘A’ class roads and designated routes to Accident and Emergency hospitals which also usually include pavements because the spread of grit from the lorries is set to a wider distribution.
Priority Two Routes are other commuter roads, major commuter or distributor roads carrying four buses or more an hour between 6am and 10am.
Continued County Councillor Moore-Dutton: ”It is not considered possible because of resources and costs to pre-treat all roads however if resources and time are available after Priority One and Two routes have been covered, then other roads and pavements are treated.
”Obviously we are urging everyone during cold weather to keep a watchful eye on their elderly neighbours and encourage them to be extra careful because of the treacherous conditions underfoot.”
The County Council has a fleet of 37 gritters which are strategically based across the county including Salt Union Limited at Winsford.
Drivers are urged to drive safely in accordance to the weather conditions and further information is available on the County Council’s website www.cheshire.gov.uk/gritting/winter+gritting+routes+map.htm
ENDS
SW/CD
NOTE TO EDITORS: For Further Information Please Contact Highways Strategic Manager Melvin Swallow On 01244 973545 And County Councillor Moore-Dutton On 07711 817060.
|