[C]umbria County Council’s gritters were called into action across the county’s road network over the weekend, treating priority routes to help keep road users safe.
With temperatures dropping below zero on Bonfire night, the council’s gritting teams treated 30 priority routes in Cumbria. Routes in the Alston and Brampton area were also gritted on Saturday night as well.
The county council is well prepared to keep the county on the move throughout the winter, with approximately 24,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled to treat roads and a 33-strong fleet of gritters ready to roll.
Throughout the winter, the council closely monitors road temperatures and weather forecasts to make daily decisions on which, if any roads need to be gritted.
The council has a budget of £3.7m set aside to fund the highways winter maintenance service and will be routinely treating around 2,400km of highway, covering about one-third of the whole network.
Councillor Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “The council is well prepared for the coming winter and we will be keeping a close eye on weather and road conditions on a daily basis over the coming months. Our gritting teams are ready to treat key roads day and night in Cumbria to help keep drivers safe during adverse weather.”
The council’s gritting service operates 24/7 to ensure drivers and other road users can stay on the move throughout winter. Priority 1 routes, which include many main roads across the county, are treated in less than three hours during freezing conditions. Priority 2 routes, which include A, B and C roads, will be treated in five hours.
Latest updates on which routes will be treated during periods of snow and frosty weather can be found online at cumbria.gov.uk/gritting or follow us on twitter @CumbriaGritters
