From November until April, the council provides a 24/7 highway temperature monitoring and gritting service for Knowsley.
How does the council decide when to grit?
Regular weather forecasts received from the Met Desk help the council to decide when roads need gritting. The council has two weather stations in the borough (in Huyton on the A57 Liverpool Road and in Halewood on the A562 Higher Road) which it uses to assess weather conditions and make decisions about whether gritting is necessary.
How does the council decide where to grit?
Taking advice from agencies such as the police and taking into consideration national guidelines helps the council identify which roads should be gritted.
Which roads are gritted?
Five primary routes which covers almost half of the roads in Knowsley are gritted. These include:
• M62 motorway (Liverpool boundary to Tarbock Interchange)
• All strategic routes
• Major bus routes
• Transport Interchanges and bus stations
• Interconnecting roads within important industrial areas
• Roads leading to ambulance, fire stations and hospitals
• Roads on significant hills/inclines and known trouble spots
The council also have a mini-gritter which can grit narrow roads or smaller areas where the large gritting vehicles cannot access.
Does anyone apart from the council grit roads?
Schools usually clear their own pathways, access roads and frontages in icy weather conditions. In severe weather conditions, however, the council will grit outside schools.
Major retail parks and supermarkets will normally take responsibility for their car parks and areas outside their shops.
What does the council use to grit roads?
Safecote-treated 6mm Thawrox+ is used to grit roads and this is because:
• It works longer than normal rock salt.
• It works at temperatures as low as -10oC (dry rock salt will not work below – 6 oC).
• Less of the product is needed to treat roads as it is more effective. This means there is less waste and that gritting vehicles do not need to return to the depot to be reloaded.
• The Safecote reduces corrosion of the gritting vehicles.
• Safecote improves the distribution of salt on the highway by 35 – 40% when compared to rock salt.
• Safecote enables roads to be gritted earlier in the evening than if rock salt was used.
How can I deal with icy and snowy conditions myself?
You can help manage icy and snowy conditions yourself by:
• Having your own stock of salt.
• Clearing your drive and pavements in front of your property, while taking care and making sensible precautions.
• Helping vulnerable or elderly neighbours.
• Driving only when absolutely necessary and taking extreme care. Public transport is resilient, and buses normally travel along main routes which are regularly gritted.
• Keeping up-to-date with weather conditions by watching and listening to local TV and radio stations.
How does bad weather cause damage to roads?
Water and thawing snow leaking into cracks in the road can cause damage to roads. When the temperature drops, the water inside freezes and expands which enlarges the crack. In return, cracks and potholes form.
How can I report road damage?
You can report a pothole here so the highway can be made to be safe again as quickly as possible.
Where can I find out more information about gritting activity in Knowsley?
Follow Knowsley Council on Facebook to receive up-to-date information about which roads are being gritted as well as updates on road closures in Knowsley. Here’s more information about winter gritting routes.
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about gritting in Knowsley:
Why don’t you grit side streets?
Knowsley has 5 large gritting wagons and one mini gritting vehicle and between them they cover 181 miles of Knowsley’s main roads each time they go out to grit.
We prioritise major routes, and those which connect people to hospitals, schools, major workplaces and other essential services. This is the most effective way to keep the borough on the move when there are spells of snow and ice.
Gritting wagons are wider than bin lorries, which means they can’t fit down narrow side streets or manoeuvre around tight cul-de-sacs. And when vehicles are double parked on a road, it can make it impossible for a gritter to get by.
It should also be noted that gritting on roads with relatively low volumes of traffic can have a minimal impact on snow and ice, as the grit needs vehicles running over it to work effectively. So if you’re in one of the first vehicles on the road after gritting, the surface may will be slippery – so always drive cautiously!
Why don’t you grit footways?
It would not be possible for the council to grit all the footways in Knowsley due to the number of miles to cover and the labour required. However, pavements on primary routes, where the main carriageway is gritted, may also get some grit dispersed onto the footway.
Major retail parks and supermarkets normally grit their car parks and the areas outside their shops for the convenience of their customers.
Council teams grit the main thoroughfares in Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot town centres while the main thoroughfare in Halewood centre is gritted by MerseyTravel.
Why are there no grit bins?
Knowsley hasn’t had grit bins on street corners since the early 2010s. The idea was that the grit could be accessed by local people to treat public footpaths and side streets when needed (but not for private properties and driveways).
Unfortunately, the bins were often filled with litter which made the grit dry out and become hard and unusable.
Residents can obtain their own supplies of grit, which is readily available to purchase at service stations and even some supermarkets.
I haven’t seen a gritter – so I know you haven’t gritted
Our gritters work based on the weather forecast. The coldest time is often before dawn, so as a result our gritting teams often work late at night or the early hours of the morning. So unless you happen be looking at the exact time they drive past, you usually won’t see them.
I saw a gritter – but it was not spreading any grit!
Gritting wagons no longer spray grit in all directions as they used to. Computer controlled mechanics ensure they dispense the required amount of salt direct down onto the road. So you may not have noticed the gritting happening.
The vehicle could also have been on its way out to the start of its treatment route, or on its way back to the depot.
You haven’t gritted – the roads are still icy
It’s a myth that grit on its own melts ice – it doesn’t. It doesn’t stop ice forming either.
For grit to work effectively, it needs traffic to drive over it, crushing and spreading it and mixing it into ice and snow . So even after the roads have been treated, the first drivers to encounter the road may still find it slippery – and drivers should always take extra care when the temperatures are low as the risk of ice can never be fully eliminated.
In addition, if snow or hail falls after the grit has been put down, it can still settle on the carriageway and cause slippery and hazardous conditions. If it rains after gritting has been undertaken then the grit can be washed away, which is why we monitor forecasts closely so we can send our gritters out a the most appropriate time.
Why haven’t you emptied my bin? If you had gritted the roads, the bin wagons would be able to reach us
Gritting lorries are wider than bin lorries, and cannot manoeuvre around cul-de-sacs, narrow streets, or streets where vehicles are double parked.
Bin wagons are more manoeuvrable – but they weigh up to 26 tonnes and when side streets have compacted ice and snow on the ground, it can be too dangerous to take one of these wagons down these streets for the risk of skidding.
Our bin lorry drivers have to be incredibly careful all year round, reversing in and out of tight roads, often with lots of parked vehicles around. This is particularly challenging in icy or snowy conditions, so please be patient.
The safety of all road users has to be the priority – and where bin collections aren’t possible, our crews will return as soon as it is safe to do so.