Q. How much grit do we have? At the start of the season, we had 4,700 tonnes.
Q. How do we monitor the weather? From October 25 to April 30, the highways team
operate a gritting rota that provides 24/7 cover to monitor weather conditions and make
appropriate decisions.
Staff interpret information provided by a specialist winter weather forecasting bureau that
provides data throughout the winter season. The forecast, received on a daily basis, gives
predictions of the possibility of freezing road temperatures, snow etc, and the time those
conditions may occur.
Other live data is received from two weather stations in the Bolton area and road sensors all
of which is monitored 24 hours a day during the gritting season.
Q. How many miles/kms do we cover on a gritting round? Our gritting crews do two
types of gritting rounds. One is a ‘full route grit’, which covers a total of 510km/317 miles of
roads (A, B and C) around Bolton.
On a full route grit we cover just over half of our total road network and all the main roads
and major bus routes are covered. Our drivers cover eight routes around the borough on a
full route grit.
The other gritting round is called ‘seek and destroy’ where two gritter drivers go out and
target high and known danger spots.
Q. How many gritters do you have? Nine. We use eight vehicles on a full route grit and
one is on standby. In snowy conditions all nine would be used.
Q. What is your gritting budget this year? For 15/16 it is £740,000 but we will go over
budget and spend more if necessary.
Q. Do you provide grit bins? There are 533 grit bins around the borough. Residents can
use the grit in grit bins on the public highway and footpaths but not on their driveways. Grit
bins are refilled throughout the winter season when appropriate.
Q. How much are we planning to grit? Entirely dependent on the weather! On a full route
grit we would usually spread between 30 to 40 tonnes of grit. However, this would increase
depending on how severe the weather is.
Q. Why don’t we grit footpaths? We do grit town centre footpaths and during snowy
conditions staff will clear snow from bus stops on main roads and near key locations e.g.
train station and bus station.
Q. How do I find out if I am on gritting route? Visit www.bolton.gov.uk/residents. Enter
your post code/road, select your address, and click on the My Maps tab.
Q: Where can I get gritting updates? Please follow us on Twitter (@boltoncouncil), check
our website, or subscribe to gritting alert e-mails
http://www.bolton.gov.uk/website/pages/Wintergritting.aspx
Q. Where can I get info on disruption to bin collections? Check our website.
Q. Where can I get info on disruption to bin collections? Check our website or with your
school directly.
Gritting key points
• We are as prepared as we can be.
• We grit more than half of the total road network across the borough which is more than a
lot of other authorities.
• We would encourage all our residents to be prepared for winter and purchase grit
(available from Heaton Fold garden centre, off Chorley New Road). Information on preparing
for winter: http://www.bolton.gov.uk/home/Pages/Getreadyforwinter.aspx
• We would urge all road users to take extra care and allow extra time for journeys in the
cold weather.
Facts and figures
In 13/14 we did 54 full route grits and 6 seek and destroys. We spread 2,072 tonnes of grit.
In 14/15 we did 81 full route grits and 6 seek and destroy. We spread 4,200 tonnes of grit.
Myth buster
* Once a gritter has put salt on the road, it will melt ice.
Untrue – spreading salt is only the start of the de-icing process. Grit needs movement and
crushing by traffic for it to start to be effective. When traffic volumes are low, roads can
remain icy for some time until there is a significant traffic flow.
* I’ve not seen a single gritter and I’m on a gritting route.
A driver covers approximately 50 miles on a route so given the length of a route it is quite
possible that people might not see the gritters. The road gritting often takes place late
throughout the night or very early in the morning.
* Anybody can use grit bins.
Grit bins are for the use of residents in that area, on the public footpath and roads and not
for driveways.
* Why do councils only grit once it starts snowing!
When snow is forecast we start gritting the roads before it starts snowing to slow the rate of
snow settling. Again some people may not see the gritting that’s taken place as its usually
overnight/in the early hours. If people do see a gritter, chances are it’s one that has been out
before because when the weather is bad we grit continuously. The problem is that grit alone
has very little effect on snow and once snow has started to build up on the roads, there is
little anyone can do until it becomes deep enough to plough (about 25mm or 1 inch). It’s the
action of ploughing, spreading salt and vehicles running on the snow which help to clear the
roads.