Q:
Where do we grit?
These include principal roads, classified roads, important
access roads and some (not all) bus routes. Our routes are designed
to cover critical infrastructure such as the hospitals, fire and
police stations, major food distribution centres, the power
station, prison, city centre car parks and both the railway and bus
station.
Pedestrianised areas and footways around the city centre will
also be treated under certain weather conditions as are most
subways and footbridges across the city.
In prolonged periods of snow and ice other roads and footways
may be treated once the priority gritting routes are clear and the
contractor's resources are available.
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Q: How
can I find out exactly which roads are gritted?
The
precautionary road gritting routes can be found and viewed on
Peterborough City Council’s website.
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Q: How
long does it take to grit the precautionary network?
The ‘Priority’ network that includes Peterborough’s Parkway
system must be completed within 2 hours of the instructed time of
commencement by the Winter Service Duty Officer. Other lower
priority routes are normally completed within 3 hours of the
commencement time.
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Q: Why
do I rarely see a gritter on Peterborough’s roads?
Gritting usually takes place late at night or very early in the
morning and is timed to ensure the whole network is treated before
road surface temperatures fall below zero. As a rule the latest we
can begin treatments of the precautionary network to ensure full
coverage before rush hour is 04.00Hrs – this would mean drivers
would have been in the depot preparing their vehicle and loading
from 03.00Hrs.
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Q: Why aren’t all roads gritted?
We can’t grit Peterborough’s entire 860km road network because
of the time it would take and the cost involved. Our five gritting
routes cover 430km or 50% of the total road network. This coverage
is proportionately higher than most of our neighbouring
authorities.
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Q: Who
grits the trunk roads in and around the city?
Trunk roads are not the responsibility of the City Council.
These roads are:
- the A47 (east of Wansford and including Soke Parkway)
- the A1 and A1M
They are treated by other contractors working for the Highways Agency.
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Q: How
can I find out when the network will be treated?
Starting this year (10/11) the Highway Maintenance Team will be
posting its winter service treatments on Twitter as and when the
decisions are made by the Winter Service Duty Officer.
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Q: Who
makes the decision to grit the roads and how?
Throughout the winter season, between the 1st October and 31st
April, The Highway Maintenance Team operates a winter service duty
rota that provides 24/7 cover to monitor weather conditions and
make appropriate decisions.
Officers are trained to interpret information provided by a
specialist winter weather forecasting bureau that provides data
throughout the winter season. The forecast, received on a daily
basis, gives predictions of the possibility of freezing road
temperatures, snow etc, and the time those conditions may occur.
Other live data is received from weather stations in the
Peterborough area including air and road temperatures, rainfall and
road moisture, cloud cover and wind direction all of which is
monitored 24 hours a day during the winter maintenance season.
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Q:
When do we treat the roads?
Treatments are considered by the Winter Service Duty Officer
when road surface temperatures (RST's) are forecast to fall below 1
ºC however the final decision as to the amount of salt spread by
our gritters and treatment timing is dependant upon the specific
forecast weather conditions, road surface conditions and other
factors. For example more salt is spread when the forecast RST is
minus six (-6 ºC) than it is at minus one (-1 ºC).
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Q: How
do we grit the roads?
We use 6mm crushed rock salt to melt ice or prevent it from
forming on the roads during winter and this is spread onto the road
using five purpose-built gritters. The spreaders at the rear of the
gritters are designed to give an even distribution of salt across
the road and spread the salt at a controlled rate. The gritting
vehicles also have fittings which enable a snowplough to be fitted
when needed.
Salt must be spread onto the road surface before the road
becomes icy or snow starts to fall and this is known as
precautionary salting. We aim for the gritters to set off at least
3 hours before sub zero temperatures or snowy weather is forecast
to arrive.
Every effort is made to avoid the need to treat the network
during peak traffic periods as the gritters can become delayed in
traffic and can get stuck along with the cars, buses and lorries
they are trying to help. In these cases treatments can be brought
forward or deferred as appropriate to the details of the
forecast.
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Q:
Where do we get salt from?
Peterborough City Council purchases its salt from Salt Union Ltd
at Winsford in Cheshire. This salt, called ‘Safecote’ is treated
with an additive which is based on a derivative of the sugar
production process. Its use provides benefits over dry rock salt in
that it produces less dust, provides better adhesion to the road
surface and reduces corrosion to highway structures.
In addition to all the practical and economic benefits Safecote
is better for the environment too. Owing to the additive deriving
from a food grade renewable source, it degrades easily and as less
of the product is needed, the amount of chloride entering the
environment in the first place is significantly reduced
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Q:
Can I ask for a road to be added to the precautionary gritting
network?
The schedule of treated roads has been developed over a number
of years and is reviewed annually. Whilst it is unlikely that any
additional roads will be added to our schedules if you feel that
you have an exceptional case then you should contact your Ward or
Parish Councillor.
Any requests for additional roads will be considered during the
end of season review: No routes can be added to the schedule during
the current winter season.
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Q:
What happens when snow is on its way?
When snow is forecast salt is spread on the roads to slow the
rate of snow settling however much more salt is needed than when
spreading salt to prevent ice forming. Salt alone has very little
effect on snow once snow has started to build up on the roads and
there is little anyone can do until it becomes deep enough to
plough (about 25mm or 1 inch). The actions of ploughing, spreading
salt and vehicles running on the snow will all help to clear the
roads.
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Q: My
road is very icy - can you send someone immediately to salt
it?
We will record and consider your request, although it will be
subject to route priority, prevailing conditions and available
resources.
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Q:
How can road users help?
There is clearly a responsibility on every one of us to drive
with care, especially during winter weather. You may be travelling
on a road that is not part of a main gritting route or you may be
on a road before it has been treated. If this is the case, slow
down.
Salt spreading does not make roads completely safe; a common
misconception is that rock salt will immediately disperse ice and
snow and that the roads are then safe to use normally. This is not
the case and considerable traffic flows are needed to work the salt
into the road surface for it to be totally effective. This takes
time to achieve.
The Met Office issues regular forecasts and each night on TV and
radio, warnings may be given of likely adverse road conditions -
Pay attention to any warnings and set your alarm earlier to allow
more time for your journey. If the weather is forecast to be really
severe think about whether your journey is really necessary.
Watch out for tell tale signs, like frost on the car and icy
puddles they mean that the roads may be slippery. Watch out for
shady places or areas beneath overhanging trees as sudden changes
in surface condition can easily occur.
Wait for your windscreen to clear before driving off an icy
screen is no better than driving in thick fog! Accelerate and brake
more gently when in wet or icy conditions and brake before reaching
a bend, not on it.
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Q:
How does salt to work?
Salt is used to prevent ice forming; it does this by reducing
the freezing point of moisture already on the road surface. The
efficiency of salt becomes less as road temperatures fall towards
minus 7 ºC and below minus 10 ºC salting is almost ineffective.
Salt is not very effective when spread on top of ice and snow
but becomes more effective when traffic has crushed and circulated
the salt over the road surface. During extended periods of heavy
snow abrasive material such as sharp sand can be mixed with the
salt to help provide traction and break down compacted snow and
ice.
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Q:
Why do we only grit footways in the city centre?
Widespread footway gritting is labour intensive and is not
automatically done. It takes considerable time and ice/frost
lasting only for short periods could not be treated before
temperatures rise enough to melt naturally. Only where persistent
snow or ice appears do we endeavour to grit other footways on a
reactive basis.
Peterborough City Council salts footways in the main shopping
and routes to city centre car parks where there are higher volumes
of pedestrians.
With well over a thousand kilometres of footways in Peterborough
salting every single one is simply not feasible – our efforts have
to be concentrated on areas that will benefit the most people.
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Q: Do
you provide Grit bins?
There are currently 52 grit bins around the greater city area,
located predominantly in areas that are not on or near the gritting
routes. These are restocked at regular intervals during the winter
season however if a grit bin needs to be restocked please let us
know by contacting Peterborough Direct 01733 747474.
As grit bins are subject to vandalism and misuse they are only
provided if there is a genuine need. Requests for the provision of
grit bins at new locations are assessed against various criteria
and only provided if full justification can be shown.
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Q: If
I spread salt from a grit bin, am I liable if someone has an
accident?
Grit bins are provided as a ‘self help’ facility and are placed
in locations where difficulties are likely to be experienced by
users of the highway. They enable local residents and passing
motorists to spread salt on the carriageway or footway within the
locality of the bins should they experience difficulties. The salt
is replenished by the Council but the spreading of salt by local
residents and others is carried out at their own risk.
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Q:
Can I have a salt bin for my street?
Requests for the provision of a grit bin are assessed and judged
against certain criteria. They are only provided if full
justification can be shown.
Requests for grit bins are considered individually. It is
important that we allocate new grit bins to areas that that will
most benefit the surrounding location. The types of locations we
would consider placing a new grit bin would be those with:
- sharp bends
- steep gradients
- potentially dangerous road junctions
- exposed locations
Salt from grit bins is meant for use on the roads and not on
private paths and drives.
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Q:
Can a Grit bin be removed?
Often grit bins become the focus of vandalism or the meeting
place for youths. If this becomes an unbearable nuisance, a request
for the bin to be removed can be made. The agreement of other
residents in the area would be needed before the facility is
withdrawn.
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Q: Do
we supply salt to the public?
The Council cannot undertake to supply private individuals with
salt. Local builder’s merchants and other suppliers usually sell
rock salt for private use.
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Facts
and figures
Rock Salt is generally used by Highway Authorities to prevent
the formation of ice on their roads. Rock Salt is the natural solid
form of salt, and is mined from seams deep beneath the sea bed. The
spreading of Rock Salt on roads is commonly termed as gritting,
although neither sand nor crushed rock grit is used in the
process.
- The Council has 5 gritters to which snow ploughs can be
attached if required.
- Peterborough City Council stores 1500 tonnes of salt at its
contractors depot in Stilton at the beginning of the season and
replenishes stocks as the season progresses
- Approximately 2100 tonnes of salt are spread on the City’s
roads during the average winter.
- 80% of all salt spreading operations take place between 7pm and
10pm and between 4am and 7am.
- Salt is spread at 10/15 grams per square metre for a frost
warning.
- Salt can be spread at up to 40 grams per square metre for a
snow warning.
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