True grit – the people who keep our roads safe in winter

The long winter meant that Bury Council’s gritting teams were out working more than twice as many times as usual.

Teams made their first grit run of the season on 5 November, and their final run exactly five months later on 5 April.

During that time they made a total of 114 grit runs, spreading some 3,353 tonnes of grit. This compares to 55 grit runs last winter (1,405 tonnes) and 52 runs (1,203 tonnes) the winter before.

Pat Jones-Greenhalgh, interim chief executive of Bury Council, said: “What a long winter it’s been! Now that spring is finally here, it’s time to say ‘thank you’ to our gritting teams for all the hard work they have done over the last six months.

“With temperatures hovering around zero on so many nights, our crews have been busier than ever, often working at very short notice and in dreadful conditions. On 11 February, for instance, they were called out five times in one night.”

All the information about the gritting service, including which roads are gritted, is on the council’s website at https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11279

ENDS

Press release issued: 7 May 2018.