The County Council's Function
In winter, the Council monitors weather conditions and forecasts and deploys gritting lorries to spread salt on roads to deter formation of ice and packed snow. Each lorry has a snowplough to move snow aside to the road verge and is fitted with communications technology so its location and progress may be monitored. The routes are pre-planned so the most essential roads get treated first.
Weather forecasts are received daily from MetDesk by experienced decision makers, who monitor the weather conditions throughout the day and night 7 days a week.
When ice or snow is forecast for a route the County Council applies salt to predetermined roads which have been identified as being the most critically important to the majority of the road users in Ceredigion. These predetermined or precautionary routes amount to approximately 458km of the county road network, which represents some 20% of the road network of Ceredigion and includes the entire trunk, and principal road system and the most important B, C and Unclassified roads.
During prolonged periods of severe weather, and upon successful completion of the Trunk, Primary Routes and other routes identified as the principal network, treatment may be given, on a priority basis, to include these other roads, footways, cycleways and car parks.
Where accumulations of snow have formed, snow clearing of roads by conventional ploughing is undertaken and in extreme circumstances, snow blowers, excavators and loading shovels are deployed.
The Council also maintains a significant number of salt bins to allow self-help by motorists and pedestrians, mainly on parts of the network away from the precautionary routes at known trouble-spots throughout the county.