Nearly 500 tonnes of salt was spread on the network in 32 runs by Island Roads gritter drivers during the official 2023/24 winter maintenance season. The figures confirm it has been a milder winter season compared to the previous year when 846 tonnes of salt was deployed across the gritting routes in 50 runs. However, while milder, the heavy and prolonged rainfall during what was England’s wettest ever 18 months of rainfall meant winter maintenance crews responded to far more flooding incidents in 2023/24, with 143 jobs raised to put out flood warning signs, close roads and deploy sandbags. In addition, there were 54 callouts to tree-related issues and a further 26 jobs where localised gritting was required in addition to the main gritting runs. Though the official winter maintenance season – which runs between October and April – is now at an end, Island Roads will continue to monitor weather forecasts and will be ready to respond should there be an unseasonal cold snap. Dave Wallis, Island Roads operations and maintenance manager, said:
“I would like to thank our gritting and winter maintenance teams who have, once again, worked through some inclement weather and some late nights and early mornings in order to maintain a safe road network. “Though there have been colder winters, residents will know all too well that this year has brought some additional challenges. Following the widespread flooding at the end of last year, there were ten named storms and also the wettest February since records began in 1836.”
450 Tonnes when there were no frosts !!
well it is island roads…maybe it was past its sell by date.
Incorrect. There was one frost in December and three frosts in January (down to minus 8 Celsius on one occasion).
450 tons over 4 nights we would be knee deep 6in salt.
Didn’t realise they did anything. Hence our roads are like driving on a tea strainer. If our vehicles need to be road safe our roads should be user safe!
That’s just what they used on their chips when sitting in their vehicles
doing Fcuk all work, but eating.
“Warm but wet,” was it? News to me. I was wearing about 7 layers throughout! Dreading the next one, then.
Like the Bahamas here
Same here, tourists all over the place!
Yet another waste if money, rarely did roads become icy.
But sometimes, they did. There were some seriously bad patches of ice which formed on some nasty surprising bends; without the money spent you think unnecessarily, lives may have been lost. Had that happened, pointing the blame would not reverse that loss and that is why money is spent.