The trial runs are a crucial part of the preparations to ensure the county is winter-ready for the cold weather ahead. 

During the trials the gritters don’t spread any salt, but they are a good way to test all the equipment and systems in place, whilst also helping the drivers familiarise themselves with priority routes throughout the county. 

Cllr Barry Durkin, Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, said: “We have a strong winter maintenance plan in place once again to maintain transport connections for as many local communities as possible throughout the county and keep Herefordshire moving safely. As we know from previous years, challenging conditions can occur really quickly, so whatever the weather, we encourage people to be aware of the forecasts and to please always take care on our roads and pavements.”

The fleet of 15 frontline gritters are on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to treat the Priority Routes (959km of roads) and Secondary Routes (677km of roads) when necessary, until the middle of April 2026. 

The team will be closely monitoring the weather and will be ready to grit any time of day or night to ensure roads are safe and accessible for all users and will keep the county moving throughout the winter season.

To find out the latest information about gritting in your area, follow the Highways Team on Facebook at ‘Herefordshire Highways’ and on X @HfdsStreets.