Council is stocked up with salt and ready for the big freeze
From November to March, West Berkshire Council monitors the weather and will look to grit whenever road temperatures are forecast to fall below zero.
Primary gritting initially takes place on all the district’s A and B roads and should icy conditions persist, a secondary group of other well used roads connecting smaller areas of population will be treated.
On top of this, an additional 424 roadside salt bins have been put in place across the district.
West Berkshire Council's executive member for highways, Keith Chopping (Con, Sulhamstead) said: “We have been successfully gritting roads since West Berkshire Council was formed in 1998, and even in the severe winters of 2009 and 2010 we had enough salt.
“Our comprehensive winter service plan is well-established and our gritting fleet is ready to roll as soon as it is needed.”
A web page has also been set up at www.westberks.gov.uk under highway winter service, showing the primary and secondary roads to be gritted.
Once gritting is under way, the web pages will also show which roads have been gritted and other roads that have not been gritted because of higher temperatures.
Mr Chopping added: “During severe weather, the Council does everything it can to provide motorists with information and help reduce the risks that ice, frost and snow inevitably bring.
“That said, freezing conditions should always be treated as hazardous.
“Drivers should avoid making journeys in such conditions if possible, and take extra care if they do have to travel.”