As North East Lincolnshire Council’s gritters start their engines, 600 tonnes of salt has been delivered to replenish the stock ready for this year’s winter gritting service.
The council and its regeneration partner ENGIE have been gearing up over the last few weeks ready for winter. During the season, around 2,000 tonnes of salt will be stored once the final deliveries have been made.
With increased pressure on keeping services running and the importance of our key workers and emergency services during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is extremely important that roads remain open and safe, to allow these services to run uninterrupted.
As the nights draw in and the colder weather arrives, you can do your bit and check your vehicle is safe and ready for winter. This will also reduce pressure on services which may be stretched due to the pandemic.
Now is a good time to top-up on screen wash and make sure you have the correct amount of tread and pressure in your tyres.
Top up anti-freeze and don’t forget to carry emergency supplies like food, drink, a blanket and torch.
How to help the gritters keep North East Lincolnshire’s roads moving?
- Pull over in a safe location if a gritter is coming up behind you and allow them to pass.
- Check the local and regional weather forecasts before travelling.
- Park your car on your drive or pull up as close to the kerb as possible to allow the gritters to pass safely and with unrestricted access.
Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for transport and the environment, said: “We must remember we are now entering the colder, darker months where we may experience extreme weather conditions and need to keep ourselves safe on the roads.
“Please remember to check on relatives and neighbours – especially those that are older or vulnerable, while maintaining a social distance.
“Only use your car if absolutely necessary and try to stick to main roads. While our gritting service covers many of North East Lincolnshire’s roads, they cannot cover every road, especially smaller residential streets, where access is limited.
“I’d also encourage people to check social media for advice and weather updates from the council and the Met Office.”
For more information about local gritting routes and winter weather advice, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/winter.
The latest updates are also posted on the council’s Facebook page.
You can sign up for the Met Office’s cold weather alerts at www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/cold-weather-alert/?tab=coldWeatherAlert&season=normal
Article and images from NELC.
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