Walsall gritting teams complete test run ahead of November 1 start

Crews went out on the streets as part of Operation Snowfall to refamiliarise themselves with gritting routes, which cover 41 per cent of the borough’s roads.

Around 850 tonnes of grit has been restocked and prepared for use should temperatures fall. Decisions to send out the gritters are made daily and are informed by road surface temperature, localised weather forecasts and weather station data.

However, the council carries out an average of 40 runs per winter service.The service officially begins on November 1 and runs until March 31.

Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride, said: “We are well prepared for the winter and everything is in place to keep our roads safe. Often, gritting work is carried out overnight, so while residents may not see the gritters, the work is being done diligently.

"Our winter service decision makers are very experienced and have all the data needed to make informed decisions. Road temperature is read four times a day and is used alongside forecasts to decide when gritting is necessary.”

Residents can view which roads are covered by the council’s gritting routes at https://mymaps.walsall.gov.uk/custom/quartix/. The site will also provide live coverage so residents can track the gritters live.

Gritting bins across the borough are also in the process of being refilled. These bins tend to be placed where there are steep gradients or difficult junctions and are replenished when needed.

New salt bins can be requested by emailing trafficmanagement@walsall.gov.uk. Each request will be assessed using the criteria in the winter service operational plan.

More information about the winter service can be found at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roadworks-and-road-maintenance/gritting