Hard work of gritting teams keeps Flintshire moving

Highways teams in Flintshire have been working around the clock to keep roads safe and accessible during the wintry weather experienced in the last fortnight.

As the New Year got off to a frosty start, Flintshire County Council gritters got to work spreading thousands of tonnes of salt across the county’s road network and responding to weather-related issues to keep disruption to a minimum.

Teams were deployed 24 hours a day during the prolonged weather event to ensure continuous gritting of priority routes, which were each treated 34 times over the 11-day period.

Gritters travelled nearly 12,000 miles between them and spread 2,600 tonnes of salt, while staff time on the roads totalled over 1,900 hours.

Their efforts meant there was minimal disruption to the road network despite continuous sub-zero temperatures and the snow brought by Storm Goretti.

Councillor Ted Palmer, Cabinet Member for Highways, Assets and Public Protection, said:

“The hard work of our highways teams has kept Flintshire moving during an exceptionally challenging period of winter weather.

“Keeping our roads accessible is vital for local businesses to stay open, commuters travelling to and from work, children getting to school, and for ensuring emergency vehicles can reach people who need them without delay.

“I want to thank our crews for their commitment, working around the clock to minimise disruption and keep residents safe during prolonged sub-zero conditions.”

The council will continue to monitor conditions over the weekend and into next week.