Gritters are going out this week for the first significant operation of this autumn and winter season on motorways and major A-roads as temperatures dip across the country. National Highways, which operates England’s 4,500-mile strategic road network, is urging drivers to take care during the poor weather while also giving gritting teams space to operate.
The government-owned company switched over to autumn and winter operations on October 1, readying teams at 128 depots across the country to keep the country’s busiest roads open in the face of deteriorating weather. This includes monitoring Met Office weather forecasts along with regular road assessments from meteorological experts DTN and MetDesk.
With milder weather in October and November, minimal action was needed on the roads network with road surface temperatures staying above +1 degrees C – until now. That has changed, with National Highways’ comprehensive forecasting services indicating road surfaces are at risk of developing ice in certain regions today – triggering the need for gritter drivers in numerous areas to conduct their first salt spreading runs of the season.
