The Council’s gritting teams have been putting their vehicles through their paces during an annual dry run at Hereford’s Thorn Depot, checking equipment, routes and procedures before the colder weather arrives.

The exercise marks the start of the winter gritting season, which runs from 15 October until 15 April, although the work to prepare for winter continues throughout the year.

Around 600 miles of Herefordshire’s roads are treated during routine gritting runs, covering almost 30 per cent of the county’s road network. These include main roads, key commuter routes and roads used by emergency services.

During particularly severe or prolonged cold weather, teams can also treat a further 420 miles of secondary routes, depending on conditions and available resources.

And while the gritters are a familiar sight during winter, there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make sure they’re sent out at the right time.

Decisions about when to grit are reviewed three times a day, using specialist weather forecasts, information from seven weather stations across the county and the knowledge of local highways teams.

This helps the Council identify where ice is most likely to form and target gritting operations where they’re needed most.

 Ed Bradford, Major Contracts Programme Director at Herefordshire Council, said:

“Winter gritting is a year-round operation. As soon as one season finishes, we’re reviewing our plans, checking the vehicles and getting ready for the next one.

“It’s not just a case of looking out of the window and deciding it’s a bit cold, so we’d better send the gritters out. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make sure we get those decisions right.”

When freezing weather is forecast, gritting drivers can be called out at any time of the day or night, often heading out in the early hours before most people have even woken up.

A gritting run can take up to four hours from leaving the depot to returning, with crews sometimes facing snow, ice and freezing temperatures along the way.

And when severe weather strikes, the work doesn’t stop for weekends or bank holidays. Last winter, crews were even out on Christmas Day.

 Ed added:

“Our gritting drivers really are the unsung heroes of winter. They’re the people getting up at three in the morning, heading out in freezing conditions so the rest of us can get to work or take our children to school.

“They’re a very dedicated team, and they deserve a huge amount of thanks.”

The Council’s winter service involves around 50 staff, with drivers, highways officers and support teams all playing a part in keeping the network moving.

Alongside the gritting fleet, the Council has snow blowers and other equipment ready to help clear roads during heavy snowfall, with additional support available from local contractors when needed.

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, Councillor Barry Durkin, said:

“There’s a huge amount of work that goes into preparing for winter, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for making sure we’re ready.

“Our gritting crews do a fantastic job, often working through the night in difficult conditions to help keep Herefordshire moving.”

The Council is also reminding motorists that gritting helps reduce the risk of ice forming but cannot remove it completely.

Even when a road has been gritted, icy patches can remain, particularly during very cold weather or heavy snowfall.

Cllr Durkin added:

“We all have a part to play in keeping our roads safe. Please make sure your vehicle is ready for winter, keep an eye on the weather forecast and allow extra time for your journeys.

“Even when our gritters have been out, it’s important to drive to the conditions and take extra care.”

Herefordshire Council’s winter gritting in numbers

•  600 miles of roads treated during routine gritting runs, covering almost 30 per cent of the county’s road network.
• 6,000 tonnes of salt stored at the council’s depots at Thorn and Kingsland.
• 17 gritters in the council’s fleet, including spare vehicles.
• 50 staff typically involved in delivering the winter service.
• 2,500+ grit bins across Herefordshire’s highway network.
• 7 weather stations helping teams decide when and where gritting is needed.
• 100 tonnes of salt used on an average gritting run.
• 83 gritting runs carried out during an average winter season.