Teams prepared to show grit for winter (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Teams prepared to show grit for winter

7:00am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News

GRITTING teams are preparing on standby for action for the winter in Wyre Forest.

Final checks have been completed and Worcestershire County Council’s 31 vehicles are ready to cover the 800-miles of designated routes when temperatures dip below freezing between now and mid-April.

Following a successful pilot last season, the fleet is one of the first in the country equipped with technology, pioneered in Europe, that uses brine solution on salt before it is placed on roads. That helps it work more quickly and cuts the potential for waste, as it helps more grit stay on the highway rather than bouncing off roads.

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

The countycCouncil's twitter account, twitter.com/worcscc, will jump into Gritter Twitter mode for a fourth year to keep people up to date on what the teams are doing to keep roads safe when freezing weather bites.

Anyone looking to find out more can do so via worcestershire.gov.uk/gritting. The dedicated section allows visitors to use interactive maps to follow the designated routes, pinpoint their nearest grit bin and report any problems winter weather might bring via the web.

It also contains guidance on clearing snow or ice from outside homes which, despite rumours, poses no legal threat to householders.

Conservative county councillor John Smith, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Our gritters are ready to go for another winter and this time all of our fleet are equipped with the latest technology - tried and tested successfully last season - that will make the hard work of the teams even better.”