Road ice warning across Wiltshire as cold snap follows heavy rainfall
Motorists are being advised to drive extra slowly
Motorists are being advised to drive extra slowly today as the roads could be icy, after temperatures in Salisbury reached -4 degrees Celsius last night.
Gritters have worked throughout the night but there's still a significant risk of dangerous patches of ice on the roads, following heavy rainfall in recent days.
Primary and secondary routes across South Wiltshire have been treated - albeit due to surface water on the roads it's likely salt could have been washed off.
Some locals roads have been left untreated altogether.
Head of Highway Operations in Wiltshire, Adrian Hampton, told Greatest Hits Radio, drivers should assume there is ice present, even on treated roads:
"Wherever you go in our network in the south (of Wiltshire), there will be ice and that ice will need to be treated with care and consideration. Nobody should think simply because the main road has been salted, it's safe.
"Because we have standing water, what happens is, with the movement of the water, it simply washes the salt off the road. So, drivers must drive as if there is ice on the highway.
"There will be ice around so you must drive slower. It's the breaking that causes the skidding, so you drive allowing for that stopping distance. Just drive carefully, everybody."
Wiltshire Council says its gritter fleet will work through the period of cold weather, to treat the county’s primary and secondary routes but this will continue to leave some local roads untreated.
There is a significant risk of dangerous patches of ice on Wiltshire roads again tonight and over the next few days while temperatures remain below zero.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“Our gritting teams are working around the clock to treat our primary and secondary routes in the county to help mitigate against the risk of ice. However, the predicted sustained period of sub-zero temperatures will mean that many roads will have patches of ice, no matter how many times we salt them.
“Anyone driving on Wiltshire’s roads over the coming days should assume that there is ice on the road and drive very carefully.
“Please do not attempt to drive through floodwater or through road closures, and do drive to the conditions. We cannot stress enough that people should ‘think ice’.”