Road gritting

About this service

Our aim is to make the County's roads as safe as possible for road users and to reduce delays caused by bad weather. We salt key routes during the winter period (October to April) when there is a risk of ice by providing 24 hour cover to respond to weather conditions, using a fleet of specialist vehicles. The key routes comprise a total length of about 1160 km (725 miles) and represent some 25% of the entire maintained network.

When we salt roads

Decisions are based on road temperatures rather than air temperatures, and salting is likely whenever road temperatures are near freezing. Other factors like moisture, heat retention and time of day or night will influence the decision. Treatment by salt is normally carried out after the evening peak traffic period or before the morning rush. This is because frost and ice do not normally affect road surfaces until late evening or early morning. Usually it takes two hours to complete a salting route.

Which roads we salt

With such a large road network, it would be unrealistic and uneconomical to attempt to treat all roads. With continued budget restraints, we have resolved to maintain the network of roads that will routinely receive precautionary salting treatment this winter when ice is forecast. The network to be routinely treated will comprise all motorways, trunk roads, class A and B roads and the more important lower class roads. This should ensure the majority of road users live within a reasonable distance of a salted road. This network is under constant review and may be expanded during the current season. Please remember that the majority of minor roads will receive no treatment, and because arrangements may not always go according to plan, you should never assume a road has been salted.

If temperatures are predicted to remain below freezing after the morning rush, then a larger proportion of the network may be salted. This additional network includes mainly lower class roads serving housing estates and main accesses to villages and hamlets.

Should conditions persist, as much of the entire road network as possible will be salted.

Contact Details

Email: clarence@wiltshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 456 0100
Fax: 01225 713145
Postal Address:
Customer Services
Wiltshire Council
County Hall
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN

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