Eat, sleep, grit….repeat
It’s not just people that have been taking a break this month, Spready Mercury and its gritter pals are hanging up their buckets for the end of the Telford & Wrekin Council winter gritting season which runs from October to April.
While this winter has been milder than most, the gritters and their drivers have still been out 50 times, using a whopping 2,233 tonnes of salt and covering the borough’s 400km of roads, that’s about 45 times the height of Mount Everest.
It’s not just the gritters that are busy during the winter, some 708 grit bins are kept topped up with salt from the new salt dome that was used for the first time this year – holding twice as salt as the previous barn.
Councillor Lee Carter (Labour), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street said: “Our crews work long hours in freezing weather conditions at unsociable times to help keep our residents safe so a huge thank you to them for making sure our network is clear and ready for us before we even get out of bed.
“Bus routes, access for emergency vehicles, schools, industrial estates and villages are all gritted from October to April but now it’s time for some well-earned rest and maintenance for the gritters ready for the practice runs that start in September.
If there is ever a severe snow event, the council also works with farmers to ensure snow ploughs are ready and even smaller roads and footpaths in local estates and villages are salted by the borough’s volunteer Snow Wardens - volunteers who play an active role in their community when the weather takes a turn for the worst.
They help clear pavements and pathways of snow and ice in their local area – not only helping neighbours but also more vulnerable residents who can't help themselves.
If you would like to apply, visit the website here and for more information about preparing for winter, visit www.telford.gov.uk/winter
Gritter Poem ❤️
🌨️ Now winter has passed and summer draws nearOur busy little gritters can retire for the year
50 times they were called to the borough
Almost 13 thousand miles, is a lot of road to cover
Wondering how much grit was spread and if it was enough?
⌛ Well……….Over two thousand tonnes of the stuff!
Snowbe One Kenowbie worked very hard indeed,
🙋 And an army of volunteers, cleared paths away at speed
Over seven hundred grit bins, helped the wardens of the snow
Kindly working hard to keep paths safe…….don’t you know
Now enjoy the warmer weather but don’t start forgetting
Hansel and Grittle will soon here, to carry on with their gritting
We’ve wrapped them up warm, all snug in a row, 💤💤💤
Ready for action, the next time we have snow
