Posted on Tuesday 24th December 2024
highways, mark deaville
While most people will be opening presents and tucking into their Christmas turkey, Staffordshire County Council’s fleet of 38 gritters and associated crews will still be ready to spring into action if temperatures plummet.
Crews across the county will be on standby throughout the festive period, and will be ready to roll if the temperature drops below freezing.
On routine winter days and nights, gritting crews focus on the major routes, extending to the wider network in prolonged ice and snow conditions.
The county’s hill contractors in the Moorlands will also be on standby to grit the higher ground if needed.
And with more than 20,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled, highways crews are well-equipped to battle any adverse weather conditions coming Staffordshire’s way.
As well as being on standby for gritting, crews will also be on call for any bad weather such as strong winds, heavy rain or storms.
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways Mark Deaville said:
“While most people will be looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break, our gritting crews will be on call throughout the festive season, ready to roll out across the county if the temperatures drop below freezing.
“Crews are on standby throughout Christmas and New Year to ensure we can keep people moving during the festive period, especially at a time when people will be travelling to see friends and family. This won’t just be for snow and ice though—as we’ve seen recently with Storm Darragh causing issues across the county, our crews are ready to handle whatever the weather throws at us and will pull out all the stops to keep out county moving.”