North Yorkshire pulls together during Storm Arwen
Emergency services and local councils have been working together across North Yorkshire through the night and are continuing their efforts today to keep roads clear and people safe as Storm Arwen continues to affect the county. Multi-agency teams have been pulling out all the stops to protect residents and to support Northern Powergrid which is […]
Econ Engineering examining greener alternatives to power its gritters
Gritter manufacturer Econ Engineering is looking into two ‘greener’ alternatives to fuel its gritters. The two options at the moment for the North Yorkshire based company, which makes 85% of the UK’s winter road maintenance vehicles, are hydrogen and Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which is currently being trialled by truck manufacturer, DAF. But at this […]
Major government review says highways authorities have coped well with extreme weather events but sector must ‘co-design’ better ways to support communities
A major government review has found ‘clear evidence’ of authorities within the highways sectorthat have coped well under the intense and sustained pressures placed on them by a variety of extreme-weather hazards over recent years. But despite this, the sector must ‘co-design’ better ways to support communities over coming decades, according to one expert, who […]
Oxfordshire reports full complement of gritter drivers ready to keep the county safe this winter
The national shortage of lorry drivers will not affect Oxfordshire’s ability to make sure its roads are gritted this winter. As temperatures fall, Oxfordshire County Council said it can boast a full complement of more than 50 drivers – including back-up crews – to keep its gritter lorries moving whenever the freezing weather strikes. An […]
Amey’s data led approach to improve Kent’s gritting efficiency by 18%
Bringing data to the centre of the decision-making process, Amey, as Kent County Council’s highways maintenance provider, has developed innovative solutions in collaboration with the authority to improve the gritting operation and keep drivers safe throughout the winter. Through analysis of Kent’s geography and historical road surface temperature sensor data, Amey Consulting developed AI models to […]
Gritter crews ready to keep Essex’s roads safe this winter
Essex County Council has reported that its winter service is up and running Essex Highways’ Winter Service is up and running with gritter crews ready to keep the roads of Essex safe. Crews will grit roads where necessary over the colder months, helping keep the county moving. The crews are responsible for gritting about 40% […]
Warwickshire roads will be gritted as normal this winter, says council
Warwickshire County Council is reassuring residents that highways across the county will continue to be gritted this winter. With the winter gritting period poised to begin over the coming weeks, Warwickshire County Council is reassuring residents that, despite media claims to the contrary, its gritting fleet is unaffected by the ongoing shortage of Heavy Goods […]
LGA warns winter gritting could be affected by shortage of drivers
The shortage of gritter drivers in the UK could affect roads being gritted in the winter as well, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). Heightened by the pandemic and Brexit, the nationwide shortage of HGV drivers has been blamed for the recent fuel shortage and short supply of food on shelves in supermarkets. The estimated shortfall of […]
Lincolnshire gritters ready for the off
Lincolnshire County Council is gearing up to keep Lincolnshire moving when the winter weather comes. From October 1st the council started to monitor the weather 24/7, and our fleet of 43 gritters will be ready to go when road surface temperatures drop to around 0.5°C. Its gritting routes cover nearly 2,000 miles of highway, including […]
National Highways get delivery of 120 new gritters to help keep drivers safe
A total of 120 new gritting vehicles will be delivered to National Highways this year helping keep traffic moving this winter. The new vehicles are part of a two-year roll-out of state-of-the-art gritters across the country with a further 132 more to come for winter 2022-23. Regions receiving new gritters this year are: Kent, Surrey, […]