Dorset Highways is continuing its move towards a greener way of working, with a new winter gritting routine underway
This year, a route-based forecasting system will be used to decide when and where to salt the gritting network – down to the exact routes needing treatment.
Route-based forecasting will more accurately consider local conditions. Using weather forecasting information from MeteoGroup, which includes data from the council’s 11 roadside weather stations, individual decisions will be made for each of the 22 routes in the Dorset Council area.
This significantly more targeted approach will reduce emissions from fewer lorry movements, it will use less rock salt, which is a finite resource, and it will save money by reducing the number of gritting runs needed.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “The road network we monitor and treat over the winter is not changing, but the way we make gritting decisions is.
“Previously, gritting routes were put into four ‘domains’ with an entire domain being treated following a forecast of low road surface temperatures anywhere in that area.
“We will now receive a forecast for each individual route; this route-based system would have saved 110 lorry movements, at least 880 tonnes of salt and £20,000 last winter.
“A route-based approach to gritting will also help us move towards dynamic spreading, where a variable spread-rate of salt can be used on the same route; bringing further environmental benefits and monetary savings.”
From 1 November to 31 March, Dorset Highways run a 24-hour on call rota to ensure roads can be gritted any time of day or night throughout the depths of winter, keeping drivers travelling safely.
Salt is stocked up ahead of the winter period, with 13,500 tonnes of salt stored across five highways depots, ready for the colder weather to arrive.
Roads included in the 22 main gritting routes are those used by the majority of the travelling public. They cover 684 miles and account for around 28 per cent of the Dorset Council road network.
Where prolonged cold weather is forecast, additional community routes are also treated to ensure more rural communities can continue to travel safely.
Dorset Highways carries out gritting on the A35 trunk road on behalf of Highways England. This can often be at different times to the Dorset Council network.
Stay up to date with the council’s winter action.
Photo: Loading a gritter at Charminster Depot
