Winter is coming...and our teams are ready
16 Nov 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
As the county braces itself for winter, the council’s cutting-edge gritting fleet is ready to tackle everything that’s thrown at them.
With a rolling programme of investment, the council’s bought nine new state-of-the-art gritters to replace older models in its 28-strong fleet which cover thousands of miles each year.
In addition five new spreaders and ploughs have been fitted to the council’s 4x4 vehicles. These are placed across the county and can quickly get to some of the more difficult areas across Northumberland’s vast road network.
Out of the cab, all weather stations in the county were upgraded over the summer – and new ones installed. These contain a vast range of cameras and sensors - for more accurate reading of conditions, salt concentration and more accurate weather forecasts.
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet member for Local Services, said: “With thousands of miles of roads in the county, our workforce is always well prepared to meet the challenges of winter weather.
“We’ve over 100 staff dedicated to our winter services operation – tasked with keeping our road network running and residents safe.
“We’ve continued to invest in state-of-the-art equipment which is particularly suited to Northumberland as the geography of our county presents unique challenges where it can be snowing over the tops but bright sunshine at the coast.
“While we don’t yet know what the winter months will bring, our staff and equipment are ready for action.”
The winter in numbers:
105 staff including managers, supervisors and drivers
44,000 tonnes of salt in place ready to be used
28 multi-purpose gritting vehicles
Two purpose-built snow blowers and four gully tankers
1,600 grit bins and 200 grit heaps
Over 3,000 miles of county’s road
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