The council’s winter service is in full swing, with the gritting fleet ready to hit the road when wintry weather arrives.
With winter now upon us, the council’s 7 gritters are geared up, alongside the dedicated team of drivers, who all work on a 24/7 rota, so they can be ready to roll at a moment’s notice.
Around 4,500 tonnes of salt is stored at the council’s highways depot in Princess Street, alongside the gritters and snow ploughs. In addition, around 700 grit bins, for residents to use on public roads and paths, are also located across the borough.
The team determine when gritting is needed by regularly monitoring air and road temperature through weather stations at Blackstone Edge, Edenfield Road and Heywood Old Road, alongside a computerised ice detection system.
With more than 4,300 roads across the borough, our gritters focus on major routes and A roads, as they are most well used.
Around 200 miles of roads are salted during each round of gritting. There are 7 routes covering different parts of the borough and each gritting run takes about 4 hours to complete.
Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways, said:
“The work our winter team do is so important. Our drivers are ready to mobilise at a moment’s notice, including over Christmas and New Year, and will often work overnight while the rest of us are asleep to ensure that the roads are clear by the morning and everybody can get around safely.
“We know how important it is to keep the borough moving, particularly for our emergency services, who don’t have the option to stay a home when conditions get treacherous.
“Although the team works really hard, it’s important for drivers to remember that grit can only do so much and that it’s best to stay at home if possible in periods of extreme weather.”
During spells of bad weather, residents are encouraged to park in a way that makes it easy for the gritter drivers to move along the roads and to always check on neighbours, particularly older people. It’s vital that people’s cars are safe and ready for winter and that motorists don’t forget to carry the basics, like de-icers and blankets.