Ice warning for Hampshire's road users

As weather forecasters predict sub-zero temperatures over the next few days and commuters return to work on Monday after the Christmas break, Hampshire County Council is standing-by with over 100 dedicated salting staff and dozens of lorries for the cold snap ahead.

With temperatures set to plummet, widespread frosts and ice and the prospect of snow, disruption to rush hour traffic is possible. The weather is set to reach its coldest on Tuesday night when road surface temperatures could drop to minus eight degrees Celsius.

As part of preparations for the cold snap, the County Council has its 45 salting lorries standing by each carrying more than five tonnes of salt, which will go out across Hampshire to help keep traffic moving as safely as possible on all the main roads.

A priority schedule ensures that the busiest roads are routinely treated. The first routes which are treated comprise 26% of the road network which carries 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.

Hampshire County Council uses the ‘Icelert’ system as an aid to deciding when to salt roads. ‘Icelert’ consists of a number of roadside sensor sites, which monitor road conditions such as air and road surface temperatures, wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity and ice formation and salinity of the road surface.

This winter a new system is also being utilised which tracks gritting vehicles and allows greater efficiency in gritting Hampshire’s roads. The data tracking software, ‘DataTrak’, shows the location of the gritters, which direction they are heading in, at what speed and whether they are currently spreading salt.

Advice and information on driving safely in winter is available on our Advice website. Inn emergency weather situations, you can check this website for updates on roads in your area affected by adverse weather.

Did you know that...

Salting

• There are 45 `priority one' salting routes in Hampshire.
• The average length of each salt route is 35 miles.
• Five tonnes of rock salt is carried by each lorry on a salting run.
• The average cost of salting a single `priority one' route is approx £900.
• The cost of a complete countywide salt run is £40,000.
• It takes between 2.5-3 hours to salt the entire priority road network.
• Lower priority routes are treated, but only during prolonged frost and icy conditions.
• The county's salt stock is approximately 15,000 tonnes.
• There are six salt barns throughout Hampshire, together with smaller stores elsewhere.
• Salt is less effective at temperatures below minus five degrees, and has virtually no effect when the road temperature is lower than minus 10 degrees.

Weather forecasting

• In an average winter, there are around 50 frosty nights when salting is required.
• The County Council uses the `Icelert' system, installed in 1990, as an aid to deciding when to salt roads.
• The system consists of a number of roadside sensor sites, which monitor road conditions such as air and road surface temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity, ice formation and salinity of the road surface. 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.
• The information is automatically available via computer links to the forecast provider and to County Council staff responsible for implementing winter maintenance action.

How motorists can help themselves

• Always tune in to weather forecasts and travel information for the latest details before embarking on your journey.
• Ensure that your vehicle has a well charged battery and antifreeze coolant - many winter breakdowns are caused by these failures.
• Always drive according to the prevailing conditions. Use dipped headlights in poor weather, avoid sudden acceleration and braking, and keep your speed down to an appropriate level for the conditions.
• If you are caught behind a salting lorry, you should stay back until it is safe to overtake. When it is, you should accelerate quickly and safely, and adjust your speed to an appropriate level when the manoeuvre is completed.
• Remember that even when roads have been salted, it takes time for the salt to become effective
• Rain can wash salt off roads leaving them prone to re-icing, so drivers should drive particularly carefully in these conditions.