Keeping Hampshire on track in cold weather

Advice and information on driving safely this winter and for updates on roads in your area affected by adverse weather.

A new system which tracks gritting vehicles is being used by the County Council’s highways contractor this winter across Hampshire’s road network. The data tracking software, ‘DataTrak’, shows where the gritters are, which direction they are heading in, at what speed and whether they are currently spreading salt.

As soon as cold weather is predicted, over 100 staff prepare to start the regular salting of Hampshire roads to keep them free from ice and snow. In conjunction with a detailed daily weather forecast an electronic system called 'Icelert' is used, which comprises strategically located roadside temperature sensors. This allows staff to accurately determine whether salting treatment is required and if so, at what time the salt needs to be spread to combat freezing conditions.

A priority schedule ensures that the busiest roads are routinely treated. The first routes which are treated comprise 26% of the road network which carry 85% of the total traffic. They include A roads, major bus routes, and roads to major emergency service bases and large schools. Second priority routes are salted when there are prolonged freezing conditions. In the winter , salting is carried out approximately one night in three, and more often during colder spells.

Hampshire County Council uses wetted salt on its road network. This system uses brine which is sprayed onto dry salt as it is discharged from the vehicles. With this system the salt is a more effective de-icing agent as it goes into solution faster and remains on the road surface longer than dry salt because it is not blown around by the wind. Less wetted salt needs to be used to give the same results which is of benefit to the environment.