Swansea Council’s gritting teams have been busier than ever over the last month keeping the main roads open in the most prolonged cold spell experienced in Britain for 20 years.
Carl Humphrey, Head of Highways, replies to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Does Swansea have enough grit/salt to cope with the current weather and expected continuing freezing conditions?
Supplies are short and there is heavy demand; however we are confident we will be able to meet demand.
Like all local authorities we are conserving stocks to ensure that the primary routes are covered – this is 45% of Swansea’s extensive network of roads. I’m sure residents do understand that the most important thing when supplies are under pressure is to keep the main roads clear in the interests of emergency services, bus services and to minimise the risk of accidents. It’s never possible to pay as much attention to the side roads as it is the main roads. But we do respond to emergencies and we will tackle side roads when time and grit supplies permit.
Has any extra grit/salt been received in the last week?
Yes. We have had a number of deliveries in the past few days and we are expecting more over the new few days as well.
How do grit/salt levels compare with recent years?
Going into every winter we are fully stocked and this hasn’t changed in the last 14 years. Every year we have been able to meet demand. This is because we carefully monitor usage rates and top-up supplies as and when we need to.
Was Swansea Council prepared for the cold weather?
We were prepared. At the start of every winter we are fully stocked with supplies and we top them up when required. There has been pressure on supplies in the past week because of extreme cold weather that has affected Swansea. We have been active gritting roads – sometimes more than once a night – since mid December. While most of us were enjoying the festivities around Christmas and New Year, our gritting teams were out in sub-zero temperatures keeping the roads clear. Their commitment has been terrific.
What hours have the gritting teams been working in recent days? Is it a 24-hour operation?
There is 24-hour availability. Gritting teams go out at times that are dependent on the weather. So the times they go out varies from day to day. Last night (Monday) for example, the teams went out early early evening and again from 4am to 8am. We grit almost 500km of road in one shift, 45% of the road network in Swansea – one of the highest percentages of coverage in Wales.
Where does the Council get its grit/salt from?
We are supplied by Salt Union, a company based in Cheshire and we work regionally in collaboration with other local authorities to maintain supplies.
Has the gritting programme changed in recent years?
The gritting programme hasn’t changed. Swansea covers a higher percentage of its roads with grit than most other local authorities in Wales and the gritting network increases slightly from one year to the next when new roads or new bus routes are added.
We carry out emergency gritting in some areas off the regular schedule at the request of police and other emergency services when supplies and time permit.
