Authority braces itself for cold snap ahead

Highways teams are constantly monitoring road and air temperatures and localised weather forecasts to ensure the winter salting fleet treats the road network at the right time.

Councillor Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport, said: ‘The weather coming towards the south east is certainly going to be a challenge. Heavy rain, turning to sleet and then to snow at rush hour, followed by a high risk of ice for the next few days means that timing of salting runs is crucial.

‘Preparations are underway, include putting out salt wicks at locations where water is likely to run onto the roads from surrounding land. This means that as the water runs through them, it mixes with the salt which then helps prevent ice forming on the road surface.

‘We have a good stock of salt in our barns right across Hampshire and teams will be out making sure routes are salted in advance of freezing conditions. It looks like we’ll be running salting routes continuously and, because of the wet conditions with the forecast for snow, our salting lorries will be spreading the salt very densely.

‘I would ask people to take particular care if they are out and about and urge people to drive according to the conditions at all times.’