I went to see the Peterborough gritting lorry operation in full swing as city is hit by the big freeze
It will come as no surprise to anyone in Peterborough that the city's gritting lorries have been out in force over the past few weeks, as temperatures have regularly plummeted below 0C.
The Peterborough gritting operation has six trucks ready to hit the roads at a moments notice, ready to keep main routes across the city and the surrounding villages safe.
Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport, said the squad of a dozen drivers was vital to keep the city moving as the big freeze continues.
He said: “We have 12 drivers who run 6 the gritting lorries. Over the past few days, they have been doing multiple runs each day – sometimes as late as 2.30am – to keep the roads safe.
"The ‘gritting season’ has come earlier than normal this year – it is normally a little later in January, but the teams have been out since before Christmas.
"There is a focus on the main routes, like the parkways, bus routes and routes around schools, as these are the important roads people need every day.”
The gritting lorries themselves are impressive pieces of kit.
The largest of the lorries can carry six tonnes of grit (actually, it is salt – but it is known as grit) and 3,000 litres of brine on each run, with the grit being spread at different ratios, depending on how cold it is going to be.
While the grit provides extra grip for drivers, cyclists and other road users, what you may not know is it actually starts to lose it’s effectiveness when temperatures dip below a certain point – around -5C.
Rain can also cause it to get washed away, which is why multiple runs are needed.
The trigger point for when gritting routes are needed is also key.
Cllr Ellis said: “The teams monitor data from Vaisala weather stations, as well as being in contact with the Met Office. If the forecast is for the temperature to dip below about 1C, then the teams will go out.
"The forecast will then dictate how often teams need to go out.
"Gritting usually takes place late at night or very early in the morning. We time it to ensure we treat the whole network before road surface temperatures fall below zero.”
The council say that the latest treatments of the precautionary network to ensure full coverage before rush hour is 4am. This would mean drivers would have been in the depot preparing their vehicle and loading from 3am.
The six trucks are based at the Fengate depot, with a barn filled with more than 2,000 tonnes of grit – enough to last through the winter season. There is a minimum level of grit the council has to store, to ensure the roads are kept safe. The grit – which is produced in Britain – is rotated through the year to ensure its quality.
The six trucks were all named by school children.
The trucks are called:
Aston Verycold
Chilly Eilish
I Want to Break Freeze
Lou-ice Smith
Sleet Caroline
Thaw Patrol
You can see the routes taken by the gritters at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/transport-and-streets/winter-maintenance