Gritters out in force tonight ahead of icy conditions

Gritters ware working around the clock ahead of another big freeze tonight in Devon.

An evening of extremely low temperatures is forecast for the whole of the county, with road surface temperatures dropping below freezing from early evening and set to drop to -9C overnight.

Devon County Council’s gritting vehicles will be heading out on 1,700 miles of the county’s main salting routes this afternoon, with further treatments at 8pm and 3am tomorrow morning.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the cabinet member for Highways and Transportation, said: “Our gritting teams are continuing to respond to the conditions and they are working round the clock to keep our salting network as safe as possible.

He said road surface temperatures have been dropping lower each night and icy patches remain a potential problem in parts of the county.

Cllr Hughes said drivers must continue to take care when travelling, particularly overnight and in the early hours of tomorrow morning as even roads which have been treated may still be icy.

A statement from Devon county council contains the following advice:

• Avoid overnight travel unless absolutely essential as roads will always be more hazardous at night with less traffic and colder temperatures;

• Never assume a road has been salted. Remember that showers or rain will wash salt off roads leaving them prone to ice, and in extreme cold even salting will not stop ice from forming;

• Allow additional time for your journey and reduce your speed;

• Drive with care and according to the conditions;

• If you have vulnerable or elderly neighbours, think about how they could possibly be helped through the cold spell;

• Listen to local radio for updates on current weather conditions.

For more information and travel advice visit: www.devon.gov.uk/winter_travel