Gritting our roads

Its coming to that time of the year again when CWaC send the gritting lorries out.
They spread salt to prevent ice from forming on our roads when frost or icy conditions are forecast, using a fleet of 16 gritters. Salting is normally completed within four hours and usually before 7am.
All the main roads around Tarvin are treated.
Cwac have a well organised system of ensuring roads are treated in a priority order that reflects their importance in maintaining access to the key parts of the region.

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

Priority 1 Routes – are all 'A' Class carriageways, and designated routes to A & E Hospitals.

Priority 2 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 1 and 2 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 they have the capacity to do it.

More information is available here