Aberdeenshire Council has started preparations for the winter months to ensure staff can effectively respond to possible adverse weather.
Following last year’s barrage of storms during the festive season, the local authority has warned pre-planning is more important than ever.
Roads officers will carefully monitor both weather forecasts and actual road surface temperatures to ensure crews react as quickly as possible to changing conditions.
All depot salt stocks are currently at full capacity and will continue to be restocked throughout the winter.
Meanwhile, around 1,750 grit bins have been placed across Aberdeenshire to also enable residents to self-treat nearby roads and footways.
‘Be aware of road conditions’
Philip McKay, head of roads and infrastructure services, said: “Once again we saw our teams work tirelessly throughout the last winter to ensure roads and footpaths remained safe and passable wherever possible despite some extremely challenging conditions.
“Our vehicle maintenance teams have been getting our fleet of gritters and support vehicles ready for action so that our residents, commuters and businesses have the confidence that we are prepared for whatever the weather throws at us.
“Of course, we also have to remain realistic and, when there are extreme conditions, while we will always do the best we possibly can, road users must be aware of those conditions and should drive accordingly.”
Preparing the roads for winter
While the council has advised it is impossible to keep all surfaces free of snow and ice, lessons learned from previous years will be routinely implemented to minimise the impact of severe weather.
A fleet of 55 gritters, as well as support vehicles and around 300 staff members, will be tasked with clearing the road network across the region to ensure residents can travel safely.
Primary roads will be gritted twice a day during the winter time – once in the morning at 5.40am and once in the evening, no later than 9pm, each day.
On the minor routes, gritting will be undertaken if sub-zero road temperatures are forecast for 48 hours.
In addition, the council has contracts in place with around 120 local farmers who will help clear snow from minor rural roads wherever necessary.
This year, there will also be a specific focus on clearing footpaths and cycle routes to ensure urban areas near shops, businesses, and medical and community facilities are accessible to pedestrians.
Conversation