Gritting - your questions answered
This page has been populated with frequently
asked questions and answers about gritting of our roads and
pavements.
We hope we're able to answer your question
here, but if you need more help please call us on 0845 121 2979 or
email winter.service@rochdale.gov.uk.
Roads
What roads will be gritted?
We've developed a network of highway treatment routes that will
be gritted dependant on the circumstances of the weather forecasts
and conditions. There are three different treatments, and we
rely on Met Office sources to inform our decisions about which
treatments we carry out and when.
The typical routes which will be treated within the borough are
as follows:
Standard Treatment
Routes – This is the treatment of classified
roads, principal roads, most bus routes and routes to emergency
service premises, key medical facilities and key public
facilities.
A standard treatment will be carried out
when the weather forecast predicts ice may form or snow may fall on
the road surface across the whole borough.
High Roads
Treatment Routes – This is the
treatment of the borough's high altitude roads or roads
which have sections where frost or ice regularly form.
A treatment of the high roads will be
carried out when the weather forecast predicts ice may form, or
snow may fall on the road surface at these specific locations.
Priority Treatment Routes –
This is the treatment of the borough's priority roads to ensure the
major roads network and key public services are maintained. A
priority treatment will be carried out in certain severe weather
conditions such prolonged heavy snowfall where the rate at which
the snow can accumulate on the road is greater than the rate the
snow can be cleared using ploughs and salt treatment.
The priority routes will be the first routes
to be treated in severe weather conditions. The standard highway
treatment routes will only be treated after the priority routes
have been cleared and made safe.
It is rare we have to carry out a
treatment of the priority routes only. The standard treatment
routes will be treated in the majority of normal winter conditions,
including snow. There is a strict criteria for priority
treatment routes which mean it's not possible for us to add
additional roads to the priority routes unless they meet the
criteria.
The Highways Agency is responsible for maintaining the motorway
network. Around our borough the motorways consist of the M60, M62,
M66 and A627(M). Any issues relating to motorway gritting and
maintenance should be reported to the Highways Agency in the
first instance (see links on the right hand column).
Can I add a road to the treatment routes if it's not
already included?
The gritting treatment routes are already
planned and designed around specific criteria to meet the needs of
the borough overall. Unless roads meet the criteria it will
not be possible for us to add them to our existing gritting
routes.
Why do priority treatment routes sometimes only get gritted?
What about other roads or bus routes?
It is rare the priority routes will be the
only routes we'll treat. The following circumstances explain the
occasions when only priority routes will be
treated:
- Certain severe weather
conditions - such as prolonged heavy snowfall
when the rate of snowfall on the highway is greater than
the rate the snow that can be cleared using ploughs and salt
treatment. In these conditions the critical road network and
other specific requirements must be prioritised to ensure the
priority routes and other key public services can be
maintained.
- The forecast indicates the need for increased salt
use - where the weather forecast indicates we
will need to use more salt than we have available in our
current salt stocks, we must prioritise the critical
routes. This case will apply until more salt stocks have
been delivered, and we will review the situation and ensure the
critical road network is made safe before any other roads are
treated. Salt stocks have been significantly increased
to reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
- National control mechanisms - where
salt cell or another national control mechanism imposes a salt
usage restriction. This forces us into a situation where we
can only treat the critical road network to ensure the
key routes and other key public services are maintained.
How does the council decide when to grit the roads?
We monitor weather conditions 24 hours a day throughout the
highways winter service season. Decisions on the level of
treatment is determined from the information we get from weather
stations within the borough and detailed forecasts from the Met
Office. We may also visually inspect the roads to verify the
information obtained from the weather stations and Met Office.
When we know for definite from the weather forecasts
the treatment routes will need to be gritted, we aim for treatments
to take place in the evening at approximately 6.30pm or in the
morning at approximately 4.30am. Gritting at these
times ensures we get the best performance from the grit.
Dependant on the severity of the weather forecast we may carry out
both an evening and morning grit of the roads and further
grits throughout the day and night.
On occasions where the weather forecast cannot confirm for
definite whether a treatment is needed we will
monitor the weather data continuously. This means we will only
carry out a gritting treatment when it's
required. However, if this coincides with the rush hours,
gritters can be severely delayed and get stuck along with the other
traffic. This is why we aim to avoid rush hour
gritting. Difficulties can also arise when rain is
forecast to continue right up to the time of freezing
conditions or when the rain is forecast to turn to snow. In
these circumstances the gritters must wait until the rain has
stopped or the salt will be washed away.
Why can't the council grit every road?
It's not possible for the gritters to spread
salt on every road and pedestrian area. To overcome this, we've
provided over 400 highways salt bins at key locations throughout
the borough.
We provided salt bins for residents, motorists
and pedestrians to spread the salt on the public highway
and pedestrian areas. The salt in salt bins should not be
used on private property, such as driveways.
See popular
questions and answers about salt bins
How long does it take to grit our roads?
We can get our gritting fleet out onto the roads within an
hour and it takes approximately four hours in
total to complete a standard gritting treatment.
Can I make gritting requests above the levels of
service defined by the council's policy?
We are not able to respond to requests which
are above the level of service set by the policy because the new
winter service has been planned so it is clear about what should be
prioritised and the resources and salt stocks have been set up for
this. Additional requests can ultimately affect our ability
to deliver the agreed priorities and has implications on our salt
stocks which have to be preserved.
Gritters
How many gritters do we have?
Treatment of the highway network is carried out by a fleet
of seven gritters which cover over 317km of the road
network.
Why can't the council just grit every road the gritters travel
along?
It's not possible for the gritters to spread
salt on every road and pedestrian area. To overcome this, we've
provided over 400 highways salt bins at key locations throughout
the borough.
We provided salt bins for residents, motorists
and pedestrians to spread the salt on the public highway
and pedestrian areas. The salt in salt bins should not be
used on private property, such as driveways.
Why do we sometimes see gritters on the road but not spreading
salt?
This could be two main reasons:
- The highway treatment routes are designed and planned so each
gritting vehicle covers the treated network in the shortest
distance but there will always be a certain amount of ‘dead
mileage’ where the gritting vehicles do not spread salt on the
roads. This happens typically where the gritters are
either travelling to and from the depot, travelling between treated
parts of the network, or travelling back over a section which has
already been / will be treated.
- The new fleet of gritters have a ‘low throw’ spreading device
which distributes the salt on the road at a lower level than
traditional gritters. This ensures the majority of the salt
spread is kept on the roads and minimises the amount that
bounces up and hits cars. If you are travelling a safe
distance behind a new gritter or past one in the opposite direction
it is more difficult to see to salt being spread and you may not
hear it hitting your vehicle - unlike the traditional
spreaders.
How cold does it have to be before gritters are
sent out?
There is no set temperature at which gritting starts. There is a
national code of practice which details numerous gritting
scenarios. Factors that may affect gritting include variations in
weather across the borough, altitude, existing and new snow fall,
the dew point, road surface temperature, current and forecast salt
supplies.
Pedestrian areas
What pedestrian areas will be treated and when?
Pedestrian areas will be treated in exceptional weather
conditions on a priority basis and subject to available resources
within the council. Pedestrian areas will not be treated for normal
overnight frosty conditions.
Decisions to grit pedestrian areas will be based on the
following criteria:
Priority 1 - Priority 1
areas cover the highest footfall areas on public footways in town
and district centres, principal shopping areas, and outside bus
interchanges and train / tram stations. Priority 1 areas will be
treated subject to available resources for the following
events:
- Snowfall: Snow is expected to settle and remain for a period of
24 hours or more.
- Frost/ice: Frost or ice has formed and is expected to remain
for a period of 24 hours or more.
Priority 2 - Priority 2
areas cover the same type of areas as covered by Priority 1 but
over a greater extent. Priority 2 areas will be treated when all
Priority 1 areas have been treated. Priority 2 areas will be
treated subject to available resources for the following
events:
- Snowfall: Snow has settled on the ground for a period of 24
hours and is expected to remain for a further 48 hours or
more.
- Frost/ice: Frost or ice has formed and remained for a period of
24 hours and is expected to remain for a period of 48 hours or
more.
Priority 3 - Priority 3
areas cover the highest footfall areas on public footways outside
secondary schools, further education centres (i.e. colleges),
hospitals, medical centres and hospices. Priority 3 areas will be
treated when all Priority 1 and 2 areas have been treated. Priority
3 areas will be treated, subject to available resources, for the
following events:
- Snowfall: Snow has settled on the ground for a period of 72
hours and is expected to remain for a further period of 72 hours or
more.
- Frost/ice: Frost or ice has formed and remained for a period of
72 hours and is expected to remain for a period of 72 hours or
more.
Is it safe for me to clear snow and ice from pavements
myself?
The Government has published guidance to confirm there's no law
stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside
your home or from outside public spaces. If you've cleared the path
carefully, it's unlikely you'll be sued or held legally responsible
for any injuries on the path.
See the Government's Snow
Code for clearing snow and ice safely.
Will the council treat pavements if it's frosty?
No. Normal overnight frosty conditions don't warrant the
need for treatment of pedestrian areas.