Council gritters working round the clock as icy conditions persist
The dedicated crew of Telford & Wrekin Council gritters have been working round the clock, keeping main roads as clear as possible during this prolonged bout of severe weather – the likes of which have not been seen since 2010.
Since Thursday at 11pm the Council has carried out 15 grit runs and using 1,050 tonnes of grit delivered by a team of 32, working double shifts to keep the main road networks passable.
The weight of snow has created more problems bringing many trees down and blocking roads that also need clearing.
Some 422.3 kilometres of roads are treated across the borough including A and B roads, roads serving fire, ambulance and police establishments, main bus routes in the Telford Town Centre, Dawley, Madeley, Newport, Oakengates, Wellington and Ironbridge plus secondary routes and grit bins at high risk sites such as steep hills and severe bends. Full details are available http://apps.telford.gov.uk/wintermaintenance/
To help tackle demand for areas that aren’t routinely gritted, the council has also mobilised a number of local contractors who are heading out today with a number of flatbed lorries to help refill the 670 grit bins across the borough.
These teams will focus on the areas worst affected. If you need to request a grit bin refill, log into your My Telford account or email highways@telford.gov.uk
As many council resources as possible have been diverted into dealing with the impact of the snow and ice and were working all day on Sunday, while contractor and local farmers with tractors have been working round the clock since Sunday and dealing with special requests such as nursing home footpaths, with new locations being prioritised for tractors to visit and help clear snow.
Grounds maintenance teams unable to carry out normal tasks such as littler picking are helping to grit other areas including footpaths for safe routes to school and doctors’ surgeries.
A further 1,000 tonnes of salt is on its way to Telford to make sure the salt barn is fully stocked again for the Christmas and New Year period.
Angela McClements, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure said: “We’d like to thank council teams who have been working non-stop since Thursday night and everyone who has rallied together during this prolonged spell of very severe weather.
“We’ve have had more than 50 people come forward to become snow wardens helping to clear drives and footpaths for people who are less able and while the conditions have been difficult it is great to see how the community pulls together at times like these.
“We are doing all we can with the resources we have to keep the roads as safe as possible, keep grit bins topped up and support the most vulnerable people in the community.”
