Norfolk's gritting vehicles first run of the season

Norfolk's gritting vehicles headed out in the early hours of Tuesday morning on the first gritting run of the season.  

Over the past three years Norfolk's gritters have been kitted out with brand new, state of the art auto-salting technology which makes the grit runs more accurate, saves time and reduces waste. Thanks to Norfolk's school children and members of the public, all 55 vehicles have recently been named so be sure to look out for Edith Gravel, Grit Yarmouth and Gritty Gritty Bang Bang on the roads, to name just a few.  

Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "The first gritting run of the season is a clear sign that winter has arrived. I want to thank our dedicated highways team who work around the clock to keep Norfolk's roads safe and open for everyone. We urge all road users to drive to the conditions — especially when it's icy, wet or snowy — and to plan ahead whether travelling by car, bike, foot or public transport. With seven fully stocked salt barns and over 2,000 grit bins across the county, we're well prepared to keep Norfolk moving this winter."  

The cold weather also marks the start of the council's annual #NorfolkWinter campaign on social media which shares updates on when the gritters will be out, travel tips and safety advice to keep Norfolk moving throughout the winter season.  

Look for the hashtag #NorfolkWinter and follow Norfolk County Council on Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

People can check which roads are on the council's gritting routes for this season using the map at www.norfolk.gov.uk/gritting. 

Last winter saw Norfolk's gritting teams complete 66 full gritting runs between November and March. Each run treated around 2,200 miles of road—which is the equivalent of driving from Norwich to Istanbul and back! In total, crews covered an impressive 145,200 miles, which is the same as driving nearly six times around the Earth, and spread approximately 14,800 tonnes of salt, roughly the weight of 2,500 elephants.  

Norfolk's gritting routes include all A and B-class roads and some C-class roads are treated, with a focus on commuter and major bus routes and as far as is possible into villages. The Winter Gritting Service is delivered by Norse Highways. The A11 and A47 are gritted by National Highways.

How do we decide when to grit?   

The council's experienced highways team will be monitoring forecasts, weather stations and road temperatures to decide when to send out the gritting fleet. 

The decision on when to grit is based on specialised weather forecasts that predict ice or snow forming on roads and measured road surface temperatures (RST) from roadside weather stations, which are often lower than air temperatures. Gritting is typically triggered when RST is predicted to fall to or below 0-1°C.  

It's really important to remember that very occasionally forecasts can be wrong and throughout the winter to always drive with extra care and to the weather conditions at the time.  

How the public can help this winter

Gritters are wide vehicles - parked cars can block access. Residents are asked to park considerately to allow treatment.

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

Always give plenty of room if driving behind grit lorries. 

Find more information on our website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/winter