Search this site:

Gritting

Winter Gritting Routes View our online maps to locate emergency gritting routes.

View our Emergency Road Gritting network on a map.|

What is our Winter Maintenance Policy?

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council as the Highway Authority is responsible for providing a winter maintenance service, which enables the traveling public to use the county borough road network with reasonable safety throughout adverse winter weather. The aim is to maintain, or reinstate as quickly as possible, free and safe traffic flow, on all routes during the winter period and to ensure that vehicles and pedestrians can use them with safety. The Councils Winter Service Provision Plan is available to view online here.|

How do we decide when to treat the roads?

Every day from the 1st October to 30th April the Council receives the latest road condition forecasts from the weather centre. These are analysed very carefully by our specially trained staff and a decision is made on what action is required on that day.

Where the forecast does not give a clear indication of ice or snow the Council can call upon a number of road sensors around the county, which can give up to the minute information on the surface temperature of the road.

What roads do we treat?

Precautionary salting of a predefined network of approximately 435km of main roads is carried out when the forecast indicates that ice or snow is likely. This precautionary salting network comprises all A and B classified roads and some strategic Class III and unclassified roads. We have provided a map of the salting network|. Roads marked in red (high level routes) are the roads we salt when the forecast requires we only treat the high routes and roads marked in green (low level routes) are the roads added to these when we treat the whole salting network.

How do we treat the roads?

Roads are treated with rock salt to prevent the formation of hazards.

Salting is timed so that it can be completed before the onset of the severe weather, but this may not be achievable if sudden changes in forecast or sub zero road conditions occur immediately after rainfall.

Salting is not carried out in cold dry weather except to treat wet patches caused by standing water or seepage from banks or leakage of water mains.

For snowfalls up to a depth of 4 cm salt is applied to the road surface at the maximum rate available.

When continuous snow is forecast, precautionary spreading rates are set to maximum to melt the initial snowfall and provide a wet surface beneath subsequent snow thus easing the work of ploughing and further salting.

What is salt and how does it work?

The grit that we use to treat the roads is not really ‘grit’ but is actually rock salt.

The salt works by mixing with the water molecules so that it lowers the freezing point of the water on the road surface. Without gritting the water would freeze when the temperature falls to zero degrees Celsius, but on treated surfaces the temperature has to fall much lower before the water freezes. It should be noted that as salt effectively lowers the freezing point of water, it becomes less effective as temperatures drop to very cold levels below -5 degrees centigrade.

For the salt to work efficiently it must be spread before the temperature falls to zero, which is why you see the gritting vehicles on the road before the onset of any frost.

When do we start ploughing the snow?

We usually start snow ploughing once the snow reaches a depth of about 4cm. Dedicated snow ploughs are mobilised and as well as ploughing the snow will deposit salt onto the road surface to help reduce the build up.

Salt bins

Requests for Salt Bins to be placed at a new location on the Highway Network are considered on an annual basis prior to the winter season. New requests are assessed in a number of ways, taking into account such factors as gradient, social significance, traffic flows, drainage issues and height. It should be noted that requests will only be considered for roads which are maintainable at public expense and that new requests are not considered for roads which are treated as part of the Councils salting network.

How do I report an empty a salt bin?

Although we monitor and replenish salt bins on a regular basis, during cold weather the salt level in these bins may become low, so if a salt bin near you needs refilling then please contact us using one of the below methods.

When contacting us, please can you provide the following information: -

Where is the grit bin located? (Please provide as much detail as possible including landmarks such as it’s located next to the Post Office, Pub etc.)