When the Borough's roads are in the icy grip of winter weather Darlington Council's highways maintenance team is out at all hours aiming to keep roads safe and ice-free.
The team of gritter drivers and technical support staff works on a shift system. With a fleet of nine gritters on standby from October to April, they are ready to react at the first sight of bad weather.
Forecasting snow and ice
Throughout the winter the Council receives several daily weather forecasts from the Met. Office.
The forecasts are part of an ice prediction system that also collects information on atmospheric and road surface temperatures from three road weather stations near the Borough. This information along with the weather forecasts determines what action needs to be taken. For example, if the decision is made to salt the roads, the information will help the team to decide when to salt and how much salt will be needed.
Salting the roads
Once the decision to salt the roads has been taken the Council's fleet of gritters is deployed to salt the road network in full or in part. Most people do not see the gritters in action because their work is usually done by 7.30am on weekdays and Saturdays and by 8.30am on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Evening salting takes place at any time between 5pm and 11pm depending on the weather and the forecast conditions. Salt is used as the de-icing agent because it is the most cost effective means of treatment.
Apart from the main shopping areas and some busy streets in the town, footpaths and cycleways are not routinely treated during frosty conditions unless the weather is very bad for a prolonged period of time and resources permit.
The salting teams carry out pre-salting and post-salting on 61 per cent of the 534 kilometres of the Borough's highway network. Cross border agreements have been made with neighbouring Councils to ensure that the routes are as efficient as possible. Trunk roads such as the A66 and the A1(M) motorway are salted by Aone on behalf of the Highways Agency.
Pre-salting is where salt is spread to prevent frost and ice forming on the road surface. The rate of salting depends on the road surface temperature, the dampness of the road surface and the air temperature and humidity. Post-salting involves spreading salt to melt ice and snow which has already formed.
Snow
During and after heavy snowstorms the highways maintenance team will be battling to keep roads clear for emergency services, industrial traffic and public transport. Any significant build up of snow will be cleared using snow ploughs, other heavy machines or manual labour. Minor roads may not be treated until essential routes are cleared.
Once resources become available snow will be cleared from main shopping areas and busy roads in the Town. Footpaths and cycleways will only be cleared in emergencies.
Severe weather
Although every effort is made to provide a complete service on the treated road network sometimes freak weather conditions make it impossible to pre-plan action. When this happens the Council's team will react as quickly as possible but ice is much more difficult to remove once it has formed.
Highway Winter Service Enquiries
Darlington Borough Council - 01325 388799
A1(M) and TRA66 - call AOne on 01325 389991