SERP pays tribute to gritter crews

The Safer Essex Roads Partnership has praised the Essex Highways’ gritter drivers who helped to keep the county’s main roads safe during last week’s wintery conditions.

Heavy snowfall, followed by the arrival of Storm Emma, made for difficult driving conditions throughout the week – with the Met Office even issuing an amber weather warning on Tuesday (27 Feb).

During the course of the week, 120 gritter drivers spread more than 3,000 tonnes of salt, covering more than 25,000 miles of road. It takes three hours to cover the 2,000 miles of main road that Essex Highways is responsible for gritting.

In addition to the hard-working gritter crews, Essex County Council has praised those across the county who went ‘the extra mile to help’ – including farmers who helped to clear country lanes with their tractors fitted with ploughs.

Essex Police and Essex County Fire & Rescue have also been thanked for helping to escort gritters through traffic to enable them to restock and return to the roads – and so have voluntary groups like Rover Rescue, who used their 4×4 vehicles to access isolated, vulnerable people.

Nicola Foster, chair of SERP: “Extreme weather conditions often bring out the best in people, and last week was no exception.

“As well as the dedicated teams and volunteers who worked hard to help keep the roads open, SERP would also like to thank all road users for the patience, common sense and understanding they showed during very challenging conditions.”

05 March 2018