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When Darlington's roads are in the icy grip of winter weather our winter maintenance team is out at all hours aiming to keep roads safe and ice-free.
During bad weather we receive several daily weather forecasts to inform us of the condition of the roads - we use this information to decide whether to grit or not.
We don't have fixed gritting times - we grit roads whenever it is necessary.
We use salt as a de-icing agent as it is the most cost effective means of treatment. It can be used to prevent ice forming, and it helps to remove snow as vehicles drive over it.
Here is a list of streets that we grit as a priority
Priority 1 routes are gritted first.
Priority 2 routes are gritted only in the case of extreme and prolonged icy conditions and after Priority 1 routes have been completed.
The pre-treatment network mainly covers the main routes in to and through the town and does include all of the scheduled bus routes. This gives quite a large coverage of the total network, over 50%, and provides a treated route within a reasonable distance of residential areas.
The treated network is checked prior to the start of the winter season to see if bus routes have changed and amendments are necessary. When bus services are stopped this does not necessarily mean that we will stop pre-treatment as some routes are on main links to villages.
We do not change the pre-treated network part way through the season unless for engineering difficulties such as road closures.
Unfortunately we are unable to grit paths, apart from those in the Town Centre when resources become available.
There are grit bins available if you need to grit paths yourself. This grit can be used on pavements and other public footways.
Here is a list of all the grit bins in the Darlington area. Please be aware that grit bins may contain no or low levels of gritting salt.
Please contact customerservices@darlington.gov.uk if they need refilling.
We use a set of criteria to determine where grit bins should be placed. If you would like us to assess the feasibility of placing a grit bin in a specific location please email highways@darlington.gov.uk
During and after heavy snowstorms our priority is to clear essential routes. Minor roads may not be treated until essential routes are cleared.
Once resources are available we will clear snow from main shopping areas and busy roads in town. Foot paths and cycle paths will only be cleared in emergencies.
Unfortunately we are not responsible for the state of the A1 or A66. These roads are maintained by the Highways Agency.
Only priority routes are presalted to prevent ice forming. The existing treated network already includes many schools and care homes in the town. Schools and care homes not on the routes will be considered for treatment during prolonged severe weather, when resources allow.
Town centre car parks (managed by Darlington Borough Council) are checked during the early morning inspection and areas requiring attention are treated as soon as resources become available. This is usually after the main presalting routes have been completed.