Heading out on a cold and frosty winter morning requires a little bit of extra planning for all of us, from defrosting the car to wrapping up warm enough to stay cosy outside.
For our dedicated gritting team however, the day starts much, much earlier and planning is around the clock. Our 21 drivers work on a rota and report to depots across the county, usually from the early evening onwards, but are ready at any time, to react to changing conditions.
We have around 65 drivers trained for winter who can step in when we need to operate 24/7 during extreme conditions. Our highway works manager Tom Vesty shares more about the work we do to keep Leicestershire moving when the winter bites
Out on the road
We’ve experienced colder weather than usual this winter and our team has been out 44 times, spreading a total of 4980 tonnes of salt grit so far!
With road surface temperatures dropping as low as -9 degrees during this very cold January, our drivers have been heading out as many as three times in a 24 hour period, gritting in the evening and early hours of the morning to prevent icing over. We even grit in the daytime too when needed.
Our fleet of 23 modern, smart vehicles are fitted with pre-programmed sat nav technology, which automatically detects how much grit spray is required throughout the county’s varied road network. This saves us money by taking away the guesswork and minimising waste, as well as making the job more efficient for gritter drivers.
The nitty gritty – which roads are we responsible for?
We grit approximately 49% of Leicestershire’s road network – that’s around 1,300 miles, or the distance from County Hall in Glenfield to Rome!
All county A routes and busier B-routes, roads linking towns and larger villages, as well as roads outside bus, train, fire and ambulance stations and hospitals are gritted by the county council. These are key routes which have been identified as essential for keeping the county moving.
Check out our interactive gritting map.
Grit bins and snow wardens – doing your bit for the grit
We support a network of trusted local snow wardens, who help out their local communities during snowy weather. They help to shovel snow and spread grit on pavements using the on-street grit bins which we keep topped up throughout the winter.
Contact your parish or town council to check for snow warden opportunities if you’d like to take on the role yourself.
Grit bins are located in the areas not treated by our teams throughout the county. Use them to keep the area outside your own home or street safe for you and your neighbours when conditions are icy.