Gritter Gritting the Roads - Pic: Ian Britton

Staffordshire’s fleet of gritters will be out in force across the county this week in a bid to keep the road network ice and snow free.

The MET Office has issued a severe weather warning for the West Midlands as temperatures are expected to plummet to -4 degrees.

Two crews of 60 drivers have been on call around the clock since the start of the salting season, braced to brave the cold weather at a moment’s notice in order to keep the highways as safe as possible and on the move.

A team of decision makers is keeping a very close eye on the weather forecasts so that they can draw up a plan of action to combat frosty conditions.

They monitor seven specific predictions every day and make sure that the most effective treatment is put in place.

County Councillor Mike Maryon, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said the team would be pulling out all the stops to keep the highways clear.

He said:

“The gritting crews do a sterling job at keeping Staffordshire’s roads free from frost. They will be out in force across the county this week as the winter weather makes a comeback and temperatures are expected to plummet to -4 degrees.

“The team does everything it can to grit as many roads as fast as it can. Staffordshire has a solid track record in getting the job done – with 43 per cent of the road network salted in less than two hours from the alert call. That’s much higher than the national average.

“However, despite their best efforts, hazardous black ice can form, creating a significant but invisible danger for drivers. As the weather takes a turn for the worse, I would urge motorists to avoid driving if at all possible and to only make trips that are absolutely essential.”

Staffordshire’s gritting lorries routinely grit 43 per cent of the priority road network in order to keep motorists on the move.

The high level of treatment puts Staffordshire in the top three local authorities for delivering winter roads action.

Staffordshire has bought 30,000 tonnes of grit for the second year running – that’s a 20 day supply running at full tilt.

The stockpile not only provides a significant buffer zone, it also means that the county is far less likely to have to pay excessive prices for salt shipped from abroad if the national supply runs low.