Grit lorries ready as big freeze hits West Midlands

Grit lorries were today preparing to spread tons of road salt as the weather turns icily cold.

Across the West Midlands authorities said they were well stocked with 50,000 tons of rock salt between them.

And they would be ready to spread if it looked like freezing conditions were to greet drivers. Wolverhampton City Council has 10 gritting lorries with 12 staff on standby at any one time. Nine vehicles typically go out to grit the roads and the 10th is deployed in the event of heavy snowfall.

It has stocked up with an extra 1,000 more tons than it used previously, with 3,500 altogether.

Sensors in roads were today being monitored by Midland councils and lorries were expected to be deployed later today on main routes as temperatures plummet.

It will drop to -3C (27F) tonight and barely rise above freezing for the next few days, although snowfalls are likely to avoid the West Midlands.

Staffordshire County Council has 30,000 tons in storage, while Sandwell Council has brought in 6,500 tons — 1,000 more than was used during the whole of last year's frost. The council's base in Taylors Lane, Oldbury, is storing the salt ahead of what is predicted to be another freezing winter.

The authority has nine vehicles covering Sandwell's gritting network of more than 250 miles of roads.

Sandwell councillor Derek Rowley said: "Our gritting crews are on standby for several months and are ready to go out gritting at an hour's notice."

Dudley Council has 40 people in its gritting team based at the Lister Road depot. It has 10 lorries and eight gritting routes. It has ordered 6,500 tons and Walsall has 3,400 tons and has had workers out this week filling the borough's 750 grit bins. Local Government Association economy and transport board chairman Councillor Peter Box said getting councils stocked up with grit was a "challenge".

He said: "Gritters will be on call to operate around the clock, seven days a week. There will be no room for complacency in the weeks ahead."