As the temperatures start to drop, Cormac’s fleet of gritters are getting ready to take to the roads, with their names voted for by Cornish residents.
So, keep an eye out for the likes of Choughed to Grits, Salty McSaltash, and Gritchard Trevithick.
Last year, Cormac’s gritters treated more than 34,500 miles of Cornish roads — travelling the equivalent of one and a half times around the earth — and used around 5,500 tonnes of salt, equivalent to the weight of 11 jumbo jets.
Salting reduces the freezing point of water. This stops ice from forming and reduces the potential for vehicles to skid or be involved in more serious road accidents.
Cormac’s 78-strong crew is on 24-hour standby between November and March, ready to take action based on constantly monitored temperatures, information from 22 road sensors, and expert weather forecasts.
This information is used to decide when to spread salt on roads before the expected time of freezing. Sometimes, the weather can be difficult to predict, especially here, so crews are also ready to respond to emergency situations at very short notice.
Check conditions before setting out
It takes around three hours to treat each of the council’s 25 salting routes, which cover around 870 miles of the road network and include the most heavily used A and B roads in Cornwall. Between them, these roads carry around 80% of daily traffic. Cormac also salt the roads to key sites such as hospitals, minor injury units, ambulance and fire stations, bus and railway stations, and secondary schools.
Cornwall’s main trunk roads — the A30 to Penzance and the A38 — are the responsibility of National Highways, which manages its own winter service.
“It’s important to understand that salting does not melt snow and ice instantaneously,” said Steve Bayley, Cormac’s highways network manager. “The mixture needs time to take effect and sleet, hail and rain can also cause problems with the salt being washed off the road.
“You may not see the gritters, but if the weather forecast indicates sub-zero temperatures, the gritters will be out, usually in the early hours of the morning. Before you set out, check your vehicle, the road conditions and the weather forecast. If conditions are poor, and journeys are not essential, consider waiting until the weather gets better.”
