Gritting to start on main Chester routes

Gritting is taking place this evening across the city and west Cheshire.

Temperatures are set to drop to 0c overnight, and will be only 1c by 9am so those driving to work ought to be aware of possibly icy conditions.

Roads which are salted are dealt with in the following priority order:

• Priority one routes – are all ‘A’ Class carriageways and designated routes to A & E Hospitals.
• Priority two routes – are other major commuter roads (‘B’ class), major commuter/distributor roads carrying four service buses or more per hour between 6am and 10am, roads serving emergency services, public transport, centres, comprehensive and secondary schools, higher education establishments, roads with gradients greater than 10% and carrying more than 1000v/day and main access roads to rural communities and villages.
• Other carriageways – Only after all the Priority one and two routes are treated and open to traffic and when snow or ice is likely to persist for a continuous period of 24 hours.

Cycleways and footpaths
Cycleways are salted where they form part of the 950 kilometres of salted roads. Footpaths alongside carriageways and other cycleways are not treated except where frosty or icy conditions last for several days. Footpaths and cycleways may then be treated when we have the capacity to do it.

Salt bins
Salt bins should only be provided in residential areas adjacent to shopping areas, part way up on hills steeper than 1 in 10 and in other areas off the main salting route where both need and usage can be demonstrated.

The full interactive map of the routes being gritted, and which priority can be found by clicking here.