As we approach the winter months and colder weather, Wiltshire Council’s fleet of 24 gritters is ready to keep Wiltshire moving safely, whatever the weather.
Last winter, the council’s gritting teams were called into action 41 times, spreading around 4,500 tonnes of salt and treating approximately 31,000 miles of road across Wiltshire.
The council currently has around 11,500 tonnes of salt stored across six locations in Wiltshire. This ensures supplies are readily available throughout the season whenever treatments are required.
The council uses timely, accurate weather forecasts that provide detailed information on current and predicted roadside temperatures across the county, and treats roads when forecasts indicate temperatures are likely to approach or fall below freezing. Salting is typically carried out after the evening peak period or before the morning commute, when frost and ice are most likely to form.
Because Wiltshire has such an extensive road network, it is neither practical nor cost-effective to treat every road during winter weather. Instead, the council focuses on salting key routes, including A and B roads, and other important local roads. This approach ensures that most residents are within a reasonable distance of a treated route.
However, residents should remember that many minor roads are not routinely salted. People should never assume a road has been treated and should always drive according to the conditions.
Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “We have 24 gritters at strategic depots around the county, ready to respond whenever conditions require it.
“Our priority is to keep Wiltshire’s key routes safe and usable during winter weather. When temperatures drop below freezing, we concentrate on major A and B roads first because they carry the highest volumes of traffic.
“However, residents should remember that many minor roads are not routinely salted. People should never assume a road has been treated and should always drive according to the conditions. Some roads are only salted during extended periods of severe winter weather.
“Keeping our communities connected and safe remains a key priority, and winter preparation is an important part of that. I’d also like to thank our dedicated highways staff, who work around the clock in challenging conditions throughout the winter season to keep our residents and businesses moving.”
Over the coming weeks, residents may spot Wiltshire’s fleet of gritters carrying out pre-winter test runs across the county. These test runs are an important part of winter preparations, helping ensure vehicles and spreading equipment are operating correctly while giving drivers a chance to refresh their knowledge of treatment routes before winter conditions arrive.
The council also maintains more than 1,600 salt bins for use on public roads and footpaths. These are available for residents and road users to help tackle localised icy conditions.
People can report winter-related highways issues, including requests relating to salt bins, through the weather emergency section of MyWilts.
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