Winter gritting programme launched in Worcestershire

It might only be mid-October, but Worcestershire County Council has just launched its winter gritting programme.

The County Council's gritting teams will officially be on standby from this week, so they are once again ready to go out and keep Worcestershire moving as winter approaches.

Brand new gritters to replace our older vehicles have been delivered ahead of the start of the season.

The total number of gritters that Worcestershire County Council have is 36 and this puts the County in a very good position to meet any challenges that this winter throws head on.

The gritters are equipped with technology which allows them to be tracked live throughout gritting operations. The new gritters will improve safety for drivers and workers due to the vehicles' improved technology, set-up and enhanced visibility.

Councillor Alan Amos, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "Our gritting teams are once again ready to go out and keep Worcestershire moving through the winter months. They do a fantastic job, working all hours to ensure the county's roads remain open during the colder and icy weather.

The new vehicles are an impressive sight and this year's roll out once again demonstrates our commitment to keeping drivers safe throughout the winter months.  

When the wintry weather arrives our team across the county will be ready to work around the clock to keep traffic moving." 

The County Council has 16,750 tonnes of salt, stored in our strategic depots across the County, ready to be used ahead of the new season and the stock levels are monitored constantly and replenished when necessary.

Last winter, the teams clocked up more than 50,000 miles across the county. That's the equivalent of more than twice around the world.

The Council also has 1,320 grit bins across the county of Worcestershire and these are maintained with stocks of a salt/grit mixture. They are provided for use on the public highway only (including footways).

There's also a variety of information about our gritting operations online, including interactive maps which show designated gritting routes.

Residents can also locate their nearest grit bin, via the County Council website.

People can report any issues on the roads including their grit bins via the council website.

The start of the gritting season also means the Twitter account for roads and highways @worcstravel will go into '#GritterTwitter' mode, with a daily update on where and when the gritters are going out.