WORCESTERSHIRE is stockpiling 17,000 tonnes of salt and preparing a fleet of 36 gritters as highways bosses gear up for a winter which could bring heavy rain and powerful storms.
Worcestershire County Council says preparations have been under way since the end of last winter, with vehicles serviced, drivers trained and salt barns restocked.
Chris Riley, the council’s highways maintenance operations manager, said current forecasts suggested wet weather was likely up until Christmas, although conditions could change.
He said the authority was preparing for weather-related risks including flooding, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
MACHINE: One of Worcestershire’s gritters, which has been serviced and is ready to go ahead of the winter (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
“We’ve got 17,000 tonnes of salt in stock across the county at the moment,” Mr Riley said.
“We’ll be spreading that as we need to through the winter period using our fleet of 36 gritters, and we’ll be treating all the A-roads and B-roads and other significant roads as part of our winter maintenance operations should it be required.”
Council prepares for severe weather
Around 50 gritter drivers are available to operate the council’s vehicles, supported by staff monitoring forecasts, arranging routes and working on storm desks during severe weather.
The council can increase its resources when warnings suggest that difficult conditions are approaching.
Mr Riley said: “We know we can have weather forecasts that say we are likely to see wet weather up until Christmas, which is what’s happening at the moment.
“We’re unlikely to see very low temperatures. However, those things can change.
“It’s a weather forecast, it’s a prediction, so we are set up to deal with a whole host of weather-related risks that present themselves throughout the highways.”
He added: “We’re pretty well placed to be able to deal with anything that comes our way.”
The council also operates an out-of-hours emergency service throughout the year, separately from its winter maintenance work.
Gritters travelled 50,000 miles last winter
Worcestershire’s gritters travelled more than 50,000 miles last winter while treating roads across the county.
Technology fitted to the fleet allows the vehicles to be monitored in real time, helping highways teams coordinate their response and cover priority roads.
More than 1,400 grit bins are also located across Worcestershire. The bins contain a salt and grit mixture which residents can use on public roads and footways during snow and icy conditions.
Mr Riley said winter was the busiest period for reactive highways maintenance.
Teams carry out work including emptying gullies and clearing debris screens over culverts in preparation for periods of heavy rain.
“We try to go into any severe weather event as prepared as we can be,” he said.
Drivers urged to take care
Tom Wells, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Behind every gritting run is a dedicated team working around the clock to monitor forecasts, assess conditions and ensure we’re ready to act when needed.”
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Councillor Wells said priority routes would be treated but warned that winter weather could be unpredictable.
He urged motorists to prepare for seasonal conditions, allow additional time for journeys and take extra care during severe weather.
