Winter season begins…
Winter officially started today for Telford & Wrekin Council’s highways team with gritters heading out for their first practice runs today.
A crew of 16 drivers, nine vehicles including gritting lorries and a 4x4 vehicle with the latest technology to maximise efficiency, will spread around 3,200 tonnes of grit across 400 kilometres of roads, including bus routes and access roads for emergency services, schools, industrial estates and villages.
Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for place (the economy & neighbourhood services) said: “There is a dedicated crew behind every winter season – they are on call for six months which includes Christmas and New Year’s as well as weekends and are ready at the drop of a hat to get the gritters out and the roads safe.
“This practice today run ensures the vehicles are checked and ready to go without any glitches before the cold weather really hits us. It’s this approach which sees the council ranked as one of the top areas in the country for satisfaction with highway and transport services and that’s down to the hard work of our crews.”
Over 700 grit bins across the borough have also been filled, surveys on drains carried out to ensure proper draining and repaired 2000 potholes since April.
The council’s winter duty officer follows MetDesk weather forecasts and anticipated road surface temperatures twice daily. These forecasts, along with information from the Crudgington and Horsehay weather stations, inform decisions on if gritting is needed.
Ongoing road inspections are also carried out to assess road conditions.
For details of where and when the Council grits, location of grit bins, school closures in the event of snow, advice on winter road safety and how to become a Snow Warden visit www.telford.gov.uk/winter
