Gritting

We grit according to road surface temperature (RST). This is different from the air temperature. We have weather stations located across the county to help measure this. Different areas in the county may receive different treatments at different start times.   

Map of Norfolk priority gritting routes

We update residents on our gritting plans on local radio and Norfolk County Council Facebook page.  

Road gritting  

We prioritise precautionary gritting  of roads based on the level of usage. We grit main roads before other routes. We grit main commuter and major bus routes, and wherever possible one route into all villages.   

We cannot grit all Norfolk's 6,159-mile (9,911 km) road network because of the time it takes and the cost.  

Our gritting runs take three hours and cover about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) on A, B and some C roads. National Highways also treats 143 miles of trunk roads including the A11 and A47.  

Our gritters are wide vehicles. Please park so gritters can get through, otherwise we may not be able to treat roads.  

Gritting footpaths  

We grit some footpaths in central King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth and Norwich as priority in icy weather.  

Public grit bins  

Green triangles mark the public grit bins on our map of Norfolk priority gritting routes.

We usually top up the salt/sand mix in grit bins twice per winter season. Once in November or December and again after Christmas, depending upon weather conditions. Due to limited funds, we only refill them at other times when resources allow. We do not refill grit bins on request.  

We urge people to use the grit sparingly. A tablespoon of salt will treat an area of one square metre. 

You can report a damaged grit bin on our highways problem report form.  

Clearing snow  

In severe conditions we clear snow on A roads, then B roads and then the rest of the priority network. Clearing and removing snow from the highway depends upon: 

• The amount of snow  
• The conditions  

We have arrangements with local farmers who can help clear snow when needed.  

Driving in icy and snowy conditions   

We use salt to prevent ice forming. It does this by reducing the freezing point of water already on the road surface.  

However, even when we treat roads there is no guarantee they will be completely clear of ice or snow. In severe cold weather - below approximately -7'C - even salt will not prevent the roads from icing.  

You should always be cautious and drive to the conditions. Read winter driving safety tips.  

Our gritting policy  

We review our Winter Service Policy (PDF, 3 MB) every year. 

Adding additional roads to our gritting schedule  

It is unlikely we will add additional roads to our current schedules. If you feel you have an exceptional case, contact your parish or town council. If you live in Norwich, you should contact your local councillor.  

Norfolk County Council will do an assessment in line with the Winter Service Policy. The view of a parish or town council is important, and we will consider it.   

Please note, we may need to remove an existing road from the current schedule to allow a new request. This is due to limited salt capacity on the gritting vehicles and time constraints.