East Dunbartonshire Council’s Winter
Service Plan endeavours to provide safe conditions for road users
throughout the winter period from October to April.
Procedure
There is a Roads Team on standby 24 hours a day to respond to
any gritting requirements. The Duty Officer checks a dedicated
forecasting service for highways three times a day and makes a
decision on what action is required. There are three road sensors
which give information on the current status of the road condition,
road surface temperature and the amount of residual
salt.
Gritting routes
The operational and financial resources available for the winter
maintenance service mean that it is necessary to prioritise the
treatment of carriageways and footways.
There are two classes of gritting route – Category One (Primary)
and Category Two (Secondary).
The Primary routes cover 63% of East Dunbartonshire’s 510km of road
and consist of:
- Main roads
- Bus routes
- Access to fire, police and ambulance stations
- Access to hospitals
- Steep or dangerous roads
- At least one access road to each school
The Secondary routes cover local and general
access roads, less used industrial roads and cul-de-sacs etc, which
are only salted during prolonged periods of adverse weather.
Footway gritting
Footways retain grit longer than roads and therefore require
treating less often. We have specialised gritters for footways
which are based in strategic locations throughout the East
Dunbartonshire area. The main footway routes cover:
- Main shopping areas
- Footways adjacent to community centres and health centres
- Footways near to sheltered housing and
schools
- Steep or particularly wet footways that create enhanced
risk
Precautionary gritting
In the event of freezing conditions being forecast,
the Primary and Secondary Footway Routes will be treated
in advance as a precaution. Where possible, routes are treated
outwith peak hours depending on the road and weather conditions and
forecast predictions.
Grit
The grit used is 6mm ground rock salt sourced from Ireland and
England. The amount per square metre distributed by the gritting
vehicle varies according to the conditions. The spread rate can
vary from 10g per square metre in marginal dry conditions to as
much as 40g per square metre in snow.
Grit Bins
More than four hundred grit bins are placed at strategic
locations prior to the commencement of the gritting period. These
are for public use and are regularly checked and refilled and can
be viewed using the link provided above using the interactive
mapping facility.
Additional grit
Additional grit is available from Broomhill Depot, Kilsyth Road,
Kirkintilloch. This is a facility for members of the public to self
load into their own container.
Fleet
The Roads’ fleet includes 15 demountable gritting lorries with
snow plough attachments, one dedicated gritter lorry, one loader
vehicle and 10 footway gritters with ploughs.
Salt Dome
The Salt Dome built in 2002 houses the running stock of up to
5,000 tonnes of salt, keeping it dry to maximise its effectiveness
on the roads. Storing the salt in the dome also protects depot
vehicles, plant and equipment from the corrosive effects of salt
contamination.
Policy/legislation
East Dunbartonshire Council’s gritting policy operates in
accordance with Section 34 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 and
follows the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974.
A copy of East Dunbartonshire Council's Winter Service
Plan 2012-2013 (pdf) (153.80Kb) is attached for your
information.