Winter road maintenance and gritting

Whilst we can spread salt to prevent ice from forming before it is forecast, we cannot deal with snow until it has fallen. This may sound obvious, but it is the major difference in the way these two problems can be addressed.

Snowfall is often unpredictable and fairly localised. For this reason, our supervisors monitor the weather very closely when it is forecast, so we can get the right equipment to the right place to deal with it.

Often, when snow is forecast, the gritters will have the snowploughs fitted before leaving the depot on the salting runs. This allows them to deal with the snow without having to return to the depot. We also have a limited number of snow blowers which are used to deal with deep snow.

We clear priority 1 roads first and, once they are clear, we move onto the priority 2 routes. Once these are clear, we aim to clear at least one access road into each community. However, if conditions deteriorate, we will concentrate our efforts on the higher priority roads. More information about priority 1 and priority 2 routes.

Please be aware that once a road has been ploughed, it requires a treatment of grit to break down underlying ice. If you are travelling on a recently ploughed road, drive with caution.

For more information about how we grit roads, the priority network and how salting works, see 'Winter Highways Maintenance - Your Questions Answered'.