There's a warning that the effectiveness of gritting is being impacted by lockdown.
With the recent blast of cold weather bringing icy conditions to roads around Scarborough, Filey, Whitby and Bridlington, there is a warning that the national lockdown is having an effect on how long it takes road surfaces to become ice free.
The County Councils have been actively gritting roads in North and East Yorkshire for several weeks now as ice , sleet and snow have effected the area. But North Yorkshire's roads team says the national lockdown is making the process less effective than usual.
They say...
"The gritting process itself doesn't guarantee an ice or snow free surface. Salt needs traffic to drive over it to activate it.
Less traffic due to lockdown means gritting isn't as effective and icy conditions may last longer than expected."
Gritting crews have been heading out on a daily basis to treat the roads, with some runs starting at 4am. Over the last few weeks snow and ice have effected roads with road and air temperatures reaching as low as -8ºC causing widespread ice.
Karl Battersby, Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services, said:
“I would like to thank residents for their cooperation while we do our best to tackle the hazardous conditions.
“Our gritting teams are well prepared to tackle wintry weather on the county’s 5,800 miles of roads. The £7m winter maintenance budget sees 54% of the roads gritted on one of England’s largest and in places most remote road networks.
“With traffic flow much lower due to lockdown restrictions, salt had a limited effect and it took longer for conditions to improve. As vehicles drive over the salt on the roads, this is what helps clear further snow from the surface. This made it an even tougher task for our teams but they are working tirelessly and deserve recognition.”
Gritters are on call 24 hours a day, farmer contractors, duty managers and overnight patrols are all on standby when necessary.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, added:
“We have a robust winter gritting service and do our best to keep the county moving. The safety of our residents is the top priority, so please be assured that our gritting teams are working around the clock to respond to poor conditions.
“Please drive with caution and allow extra time for your essential journeys.”
The County Council uses the latest weather forecasting technology in planning its gritting operations. This includes ice prediction weather stations, a 24-hour weather forecast and road temperature sensor data.
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