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Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has assured the public that the Department's winter service team is prepared to take action as the weather is set to turn colder and a Met Office yellow warning comes into place.
The yellow warning is in place from midnight tonight until noon tomorrow with wintry showers likely to bring some icy patches and possibly lying snow on higher ground. With temperatures set to dip this week and some disruption on the roads possible, staff are now being deployed as necessary.
Around 300 staff and 130 gritters are available to salt the main roads to keep traffic moving safely and freely. Twelve specialist snow blowers are also available to be deployed if required. Preparations have been underway in recent months to ensure the winter service can be delivered.
Minister Kimmins said: "Prior to the start of each winter service season, my Department carries out a significant amount of pre-planning to ensure a state of readiness. Staffing arrangements have been finalised, pre-season checks on winter service equipment are now complete and salt stocks have been replenished. Our winter service operation remains in place from October to April and every night up to 300 people will be on standby ready to salt around 7,000 kilometres of the main road network main roads helping drivers to cope with the wintry conditions."
The Minister has allocated funding of £7.3 million this year to ensure that the Department can deliver a full winter service programme to help keep roads safe during snow and icy conditions. Currently around 70,000 tonnes of salt are in stock and in addition approximately 5,850 salt bins and 52,300 grit piles are also available for use by the public on a self-help basis on selected routes not included on the salting schedule.
As part of the winter service, the Department salts the main through routes which carry more than 1,500 vehicles per day. In exceptional circumstances, roads with difficult topography carrying between 1,000 and 1,500 vehicles daily will also be salted. This means that 28% of the road network will be salted, directly benefiting around 80% of road users. As in previous years, arrangements are in place to enlist the help of contractors and local farmers to assist in efforts to clear blocked roads in the event of significant snow.
Minister Kimmins continued: "During wintry weather my staff work round the clock to grit the roads and keep traffic moving but despite our best efforts it is important to remember that we cannot guarantee ice free roads even after salting. The current Met Office weather warning also coincides with Road Safety Week and is a timely reminder that we all need to be mindful of the changing conditions and adjust the way we drive, ride or cycle to ensure it is appropriate for the conditions. The best advice is in the Highway Code, take extra care even if roads have been salted, be prepared for road conditions changing over short distances and take care when overtaking gritters."
