Wiltshire highways team say they're ready for winter

The Council's been updating us before any cold snaps hit us

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 9th Nov 2023

Wiltshire Council's highways team say they're ready for whatever winter might through at them, giving us an update on their preparedness.

They've said their fleet of 24 gritters - including aptly named trucks like Ready Spready Go, Usain Salt, Grittersaurus - have completed test runs and checks ahead of any colder weather arriving.

The tests are also key for their staff to familiarise themselves with gritting routes and make sure the equipment is up to the job.

The Council's revealed their crews were sent out 81 times last winter, spreading 7,836 tonnes of salt on 59,130 miles of Wiltshire roads.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport and Street Scene, said:

“Our dedicated winter maintenance teams brave all weathers to help keep residents and road users safe, and our fleet of 24 gritters is on standby and strategically placed in depots around Wiltshire.

“As part of our business plan commitment to provide well connected communities, carrying out test runs and ensuring we are ready for winter is vitally important to ensure that everything will run smoothly whenever the cold weather arrives.”

The council has 12,000 tonnes of salt in stock, placed throughout the county in six storage sites - including at High Post and Mere.

On average it can take up to 140 tonnes of salt to grit Wiltshire's A and B class roads and 230 tonnes to salt an extended list of roads during prolonged cold weather.

A single precautionary treatment will cost on average £21,000.

Wiltshire Council only treats footways - including pavements, cycle routes and cycleways - in times of persistent ice or snow, with a focus on footways with high pedestrian usage.

The authority maintains over 1,600 salt bins located throughout the county, which are available for anyone to use on public roads and footpaths.

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