Cheshire East Council have announced they are ready for the winter weather and will be trialling a new type of gritting technique this year.
As an experiment, Cheshire East are going to use an alternative method this winter using salt mixed with brine to grit the main routes.
This new method of salting involves spreading dry salt and salt mixed with brine, which is mixed at the point of spreading to form a solution.
The use of this solution is understood to be advantageous because the salt becomes effective quickly after spreading; is less easily removed by passing vehicles or strong winds and lasts longer without retreatment.
Cheshire East Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: "There is a general understanding that the previous two winters have been particularly severe here in Cheshire East. The message this year is 'we're ready' – we have made many improvements to our winter service this year and hopefully trialling the 'pre-wet salt' will be successful.
"This Council will continue to identify methods which can make our winter highways service more effective.
"Of course, we cannot guarantee that all routes will remain completely ice-free during freezing weather. What we can do, is ensure that our salt stocks remain high, that our gritting vehicles are sent to the worst-affected areas and that we will do all we can to reduce the amount of ice and snow on the area's roads."
The authority has been training drivers, briefing teams and investing in a new fleet through its new highways service. Gritting teams work around the clock in an effort to keep priority routes open to commuters.
Photo: Cheshire East Councillor Rod Menlove (left), Cabinet member with responsibility for highways services and Cheshire East Council's Strategic Director for Places and Organisational Capacity, John Nicholson.
