Gritting and snow clearance

We grit all the main roads, including principal bus routes and routes for the emergency services. Priority is given to maintaining safe driving conditions on those most frequently used routes. It would be prohibitively expensive to treat every side street and minor road.

For light snowfalls treatment will normally be by continuous gritting. When snow is over 30mm deep, treatment will normally be by gritting and snow ploughing at the same time.

We can also provide grit / salt bins on a self-help basis for some steep minor roads.

Priority routes

Priority 1 - High speed, strategic and main traffic routes (typically A, B and C class roads)

Priority 2 - Local bus routes and roads which provide access to hospitals, ambulance and fire stations, Industrial estate roads; designated waste collection pick up stations as per the Severe Weather Deployment Plan.

No other roads will receive precautionary salting.

Precautionary salting will be fully operational within 1 hour of the decision to commence operations. All Priority 1 roads will be completed within 3 hours of operations commencing; and Priority 2 roads within 2 hours thereafter.

Please note that no footways will receive a precautionary salting.

© Wigan Council