Gritting and travel this winter

The county council's new gritter needs a name

When winter weather hits, we work with our snow wardens and farmers to keep the roads moving and council services up and running.

Gritting

You can tell us about problems or defects on our roads or pavements, or empty or damaged grit bins in the county, using our online report it form on our report a road problem page.

When the temperatures start to fall we work 24/7 to monitor the roads and our 23 gritters are sent out day and night when conditions dictate.

Although public finances are stretched, we're committed to gritting our key routes - that's around 1,300 miles of roads - to help keep the county moving.

Check out our interactive gritting map showing our first priority and second priority road gritting routes.

You can also search by road, postcode and priority level.

Leicester City Council is responsible for roads within the city.

Motorways and trunk roads are gritted by National Highways.

Routes are not plotted with reference to gritted roads. It is your responsibility to check whether the displayed route is gritted or not.

The Resilient Network

Roads in the county which are considered essential for economic activity and key services form part of the Resilient Network.

These are roads which the county council gives priority to protecting in certain conditions.

They comprise of diversion routes for motorways and dual carriageways or are key access roads to important infrastructure, such as hospitals, food distribution centres, power suppliers and water treatment or pumping stations.

This priority is, usually, a result of extreme weather such as snow, ice and flooding, and other environmental hazards. However, it can also include events such as industrial action and major incidents.

The key aim is to ensure that access is maintained on the Resilient Network for traffic at all times, wherever reasonably practicable.

See more information about the resilient network.

Frequently asked questions about grittingHide content
Why aren't all roads gritted?

The county council has a finite gritting resource which needs to be applied in the most effective way across the county.

Therefore a precautionary gritting network comprising the busiest roads and those linking communities are gritted as a priority.

Are footpaths and pedestrian areas gritted?

Only in severe weather conditions where snow and ice may remain for several days and resources permit. Treatment may be carried out with assistance from local borough and district councils (where resources permit).

Consideration is given in priority order to the treatment of pedestrian and cycle routes.

What happens if it snows?

We aim to clear roads on our priority network in priority order as soon as conditions permit.

In addition to the gritters there are snow wardens in communities across the county who grit paths, as well as farmers who fit ploughs to their tractors and assist us in clearing roads during periods of deep snow. We also have a team of volunteer 4x4 drivers who will be on hand to deliver hot meals to the elderly, as well as help carers and health visitors reach their patients if there is prolonged heavy snowfall.

How to clear snow
- Start early - it’s much easier to clear fresh, loose snow than compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it.
- Don’t use hot water - this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury.
- Be a good neighbour - some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property.
- If you are shovelling snow, think where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels.
- Make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on.
- Spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming - table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged.
- Pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients.
- Use the sun to your advantage - removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight.
- If there’s no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives.
The 757 salt bins across the county can be used by members of the public to treat public roads or footpaths.

About roads in and out of the county

These roads are treated on the decision of the particular Highway Authority with responsibility, so there may be a difference in the timing of the treatment.

Be prepared for flooding

Find out how to be prepared for and report a flood - different agencies deal with floods, depending on the cause.

Get travel updates

Real-time travel updates: can be found on the AA traffic news website or by following Area Traffic Control @ATCLeicester

Gritting updates: are available @LeicsCountyHall

Information about weather warnings: are updated on The Met Office website

Local travel bulletins can be found on the following radio stations:

Information and advice on travel can be found on the Choose How You Move website, Twitter and Facebook, and a winter checklist on what to keep in your car is on the AA website.