Gritting teams ready for action (From Worcester News)

Gritting teams ready for action

3:20pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News

WITH the evenings drawing in and a noticeable chill in the air, Worcestershire’s gritting teams are ready to spring into action for whatever the winter months may throw at them.

Final checks have been completed on Worcestershire County Council’s fleet of 31 vehicles and all are in good shape and ready to cover the 800 miles of designated gritting routes in the county.

Depots are stocked with about 13,000 tonnes of grit and all 1,233 grit bins across Worcestershire have been filled.

Following a successful pilot last season, the fleet is one of the first in the country equipped with the state-of-the art technology that uses brine solution on salt before it is placed on roads.

This helps it work more quickly and cuts the potential for waste as more grit stay on the road rather than bouncing off.

Councillor John Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “Our teams will be doing all they can to keep our highways as safe as possible but it’s always worth stressing that grit has never been, or never will be, a miracle fix.

“Roads may have been treated but it’s simply never safe to assume and drive at normal speeds during adverse weather. The message will always stay the same – be cautious on the roads when temperatures drop.”

The gritter teams will be on standby from tonight until mid-April. The council will be keeping drivers updated on Twitter at twitter.com/worcscc