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Winter gritting and road maintenance

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.

The team of 18 drivers, staffed from the council’s street scene and highways services, maintain six priority routes which cover over 50% of Darlington’s road network, including the main roads into and through the town, as well as all scheduled bus routes.

Gritting schedule:

Please be aware that the gritting team are responsive to changing weather conditions. We will update this page regularly with our planned routes, however these are subject to change.

Operational Update:

Gritters will be out on Friday 01/03/24 at 19:00 salting rural and urban routes 

Surface temperatures are forecast to be below freezing. Please drive carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When do you decide to grit the roads?

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.

What do you use to grit the roads?

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.

Can you grit my path?

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. The Government's snow code gives advice about clearing snow safely [external link]. 

Do you grit cycle paths?

We do not grit cycle paths. The only exception is cycle paths in the town centre (when resources are available).

When do you clear snow?

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.

The Governments' snow code [external link] gives advice to people who want to clear snow from paths.

The Government also has some information on protecting your property [external link] and other winter related information.

The A1 and A66 are covered in snow and ice, can you clear them?

We are not responsible for the state of the A1 or A66. These roads are maintained by Highways England.

I saw a gritter and it it wasn't spreading any salt.

It may be that the gritter is on its way to start its route or is on its way back to the depot.

Do you grit around schools and care homes?

Only priority routes are pre-salted 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.

Do you grit car parks?

Town centre car parks (managed by the 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 pre-salting routes have been completed.

 

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