Cambridgeshire Gritters Head Out On Trial Run

21 October 2014, 06:11 | Updated: 21 October 2014, 06:15

With winter approaching Cambridgeshire County Council's 38 strong gritter fleet and crews will be making sure it is ready with a trial run on Tuesday, 21 October.

The Salt domes and barns have already been filled with 10,000 tonnes of rock salt with an extra 6,000 in storage.

It is vital that the crews carry out a trial run to make sure the drivers re-familiarise themselves with the routes and any alterations and to make sure there are no problems.

All the vehicles will be on the roads from 7pm, including the quad bikes in Cambridge on the cycle routes. Although they will be travelling slowly and with warning lights no grit will be spread.

Last year crews went out 45 times and many of them are up through the night or early hours of the morning to make sure roads are treated.

Nicola Debnam, Head of Local Infrastructure and Street Management, for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "As we get closer to the winter weather it is vital that we have a trial run now so the crews are ready to go out at a moment's notice. It is better for us to do it now and make sure everything is fine rather than waiting for a snow storm to find out there is a problem. Our gritter crews do a fantastic job in all weathers and even leaving their families in the middle of Christmas to make sure roads are gritted. We have also filled our domes and barns with rock salt ready to go. Please do not be surprised if you see one of our gritters out on Tuesday, even if the weather is fine, it just means that once we have done the trial we will be ready for when the cold weather hits."