As overnight temperatures become colder and colder, Staffordshire’s army of gritters is once again ready to keep the county’s network of roads open for road users.
The county council’s winter crews, along with their fleet of more than 40 gritters and snowploughs, have all been put through their paces and are ready for action.
Road conditions, weather and temperatures are monitored from nine stations across the county and the team of ‘Winter Decision Makers’ will make the call as to when and where to send out the gritters. Teams are prepared for whatever the 2021/2022 winter throws at them with five depots primed for action holding 20,000 tonnes of salt and hill contractors ready in the higher ground.
David Williams, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at the county council, said:
“Operation Snowflake is when we put crews and gritters through their paces to ensure they are ready to go when the bad weather hits. It’s an important exercise that ensures we are all well prepared for any adverse weather conditions and to make sure we’re able to keep the county safely on the move.
“On a typical day, crews will be out largely on the main roads but in prolonged ice or snow, they will be pulling out all the stops to treat less major routes across the network. The higher ground, particularly in the Staffordshire Moorlands, often takes the brunt of any snowfall but our hill contractors are ready for any challenges.
“I know our crews will be doing all they can to keep roads clear and moving but we do need drivers to do their bit too. This means, regardless of whether a road has been gritted, always drive to the conditions, slow down and allow extra time for journeys.”
Staffordshire also has an effective community of Ice Busters who play their role by clearing local paths and areas that gritting crews can’t get to. Any groups interested in getting involved should get in touch with the council’s highways team on 0300 111 8000.
You can find out more about how the county prepares for winter at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/winter and get the latest news on Twitter by following #Staffsgrit.
1 comment
POLA
Yes, sounds good but for years on the worst of the weather, you don’t do the estates anymore. At the top of Walton Way and Manor Rise cars are literally stuck, sometimes for a couple of days as the roads are never gritted anymore. I have seen many try to get up or down the hill and end up sliding or hitting something. My son have lost a couple of days of work in the past due to this.