North Ayrshire Council’s Roads team has been out across the region with snowploughs – despite the winter chill not hitting us just yet.
An annual dry run has been carried out by the council to ensure its fleet of snow clearing and gritting vehicles is prepared to get to work before the wintry weather arrives. The test run allows staff to carry out essential advanced checks on equipment and vehicles, and also familiarise themselves with gritting routes.
The council has 7,000 tonnes of road salt in its storage depot in Kilwinning and around 2,500 tonnes at the Brodick depot. Every winter, our staff are well prepared for potential road gritting and snow clearance work.
Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy Said:
"Our fleet of specialist gritting vehicles spread rock salt on the roads to stop dangerous ice forming, and ploughs will be on stand-by in case we see some heavy snowfall. The aim is to keep North Ayrshire’s roads clear and its drivers and residents safe in the wintry weather conditions we could experience in the coming months. I would like to thank the Roads team for their hard work throughout the year, and especially now as they prepare us for winter."
A squad of 35 drivers and 15 multi-purpose vehicles will be available 24/7 to keep the area’s priority routes in use throughout winter. These round-the-clock measures will be in place from late October right through to the middle of April.
Staff will also be on call over weekends and public holidays from November to February to help treat main footways in the event of ice and frost.
Long standing arrangements are also in place with local contractors to get their assistance during severe weather conditions.
Salt is also stored at strategic points throughout the area for use by residents. There are around 550 grit bins and 15 larger community bins that people can collect salt from for personal use on roads, driveways or footpaths.
Weather stations on the A760 at Catburn, between Largs and Kilbirnie, and the String Road on Arran are fitted with cameras, which will assist winter controllers and supervisors in monitoring weather conditions.
Weather forecasts are relayed three times a day – morning, noon and night – to the roads team who use the information to determine whether or not a snow or ice alert is issued.
A specialist detailed roads weather forecast is provided in collaboration with 12 other local authorities across the southwest of Scotland. Drivers are advised to plan ahead and check forecasts before starting a journey.
Please note: Visit the winter gritting page for information about gritting routes, grit bin locations. Amey is responsible for any issues on the trunk roads in North Ayrshire (A78, A737 and A738). Amey can be contacted by calling 0800 042 0188 or emailing the team.