Staffordshire County Council has added 11 new gritters to its fleet to support its winter maintenance service.
The state-of-the-art vehicles serve as replacements for the older machinery in its Cannock and Lichfield fleets.
Due to the vehicles being installed with the latest technology, they will be more accurate when spreading grit and have the capacity to carry larger amounts of salt.
These features could see that the crews’ number of journeys to and from the depot are reduced.
According to the council, crews have been familiarising themselves with the new gritters and snowploughs and testing routes before the winter season commences in mid-October.
Real-time data from weather stations is used to determine when and where to deploy the fleet – which now consists of 37 gritters in total, as well as over 20,000 tonnes of salt.
While major routes will be prioritised, the local authority has confirmed that crews will ‘work around the clock’ during prolonged icy or snowy conditions to ensure that the wider network is treated.
Furthermore, higher ground and places that are difficult to reach with traditional gritting machines will be treated by hill contractors.
Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: ‘Our crews gather together at the beginning of October each year to take part in our vital winter preparations. They make sure the vehicles are in great condition, and familiarise themselves with their routes ahead of the bad weather.
‘With 11 brand-new gritters to work with this year, it makes sense for crews to familiarise themselves with them as early as possible. Crews have been checking that everything is in full working order, which in turn means our teams are confident, the routes are clear, and our systems are ready to respond when the weather turns.’
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Photo: © Staffordshire County Council.
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