Notts County Council gritting teams prepare for big freeze

NOTTS County Council’s gritting teams have been out all night treating the county’s main roads.
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Guardian News

And with temperatures predicted to drop as low as minus 9 deg C tonight (Monday 21st January) they are continuing to treat roads throughout the day.

Highways service director Andy Warrington said the teams were out all last nigth from 6pm to 5.30am gritting all A and B roads as well as major bus routes.

“The day shift came on at 6am and from then on we were out gritting the same routes to ensure that all major roads in the county were passable with care,” he said.

“We will be out for much of the day, retreating major routes and, of course, will be out again throughout tonight.”

Each time, 23 gritting vehicles have taken to the roads, each covering a 100-mile route that takes three to four hours and distributing some 200 tons of salt.

You can keep up to date with where the gritters have been using an interactive map on the Notts County Council website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk

Or log onto Twitter and use the #grittertwitter hashtag to trace their movements.

The County Council has repeated its plea to householders to help the gritting teams by not parking cars on the roads, where possible.

Coun Richard Jackson, chairman of the council’s highways and transport committee, said: “Our gritting teams do their very best to get the county’s roads gritted as swiftly as possible but there have been some instances where they have been hindered, especially at night, by cars parked on both sides of the road.”

“We know that in many cases people have no choice but very often these are cars which have been moved off people’s driveways simply so they can make a swift getaway in the mornings without having to clear snow.”

“We would ask that wherever possible people help keep the roads clear so that our gritters can do their job.”

Residents are also reminded that the salt in county council-supplied yellow grit bins are for use on roads and pavements and not on their own drives.

Yellow bins are normally supplied at sites which are severely affected by winter weather and where there is a junction hazard present or high pedestrian footfall.

Rufford Abbey and Sherwood Forest country parks are open to the public today (Monday) but there are no catering or retail facilities open. however, there are no catering or retail facilities open.

The parks have reported six inches of snow which rangers are busy clearing.

People can keep keep up to date with school closures and other services which are affected by the snow by visiting www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/disruption

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