15 November 2006
ROADS SERVICE PREPARES FOR WINTER - NORTHERN
Road Service Northern Division is preparing for the winter weather which is just round the corner.
Although this has been the mildest Autumn for many years, with overnight temperatures well above average, Jim Beattie, Divisional Roads Manager for the Northern Division of Roads Service, is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge ahead.
Mr Beattie said: "Even with the exceptional spell of mild weather we are currently experiencing, we still have to be prepared. During this winter period, the Division will have 118 people on standby to salt main roads, helping drivers to cope with wintry conditions. Approximately 20,000 tonnes of salt is stored in depots across the Division ready for use when required. £1.6 million has been allocated for this year's winter salting operations in Northern Division."
"When ice or snow is forecast our 38 gritters can salt approximately 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) of main roads in just over three hours, a massive logistical exercise that costs over £21,000 each time it takes place."
But he warned that even with the most careful and thorough planning, the use of special Met Office forecasts and the latest ice prediction technology, Winter Service is really a battle against the elements and ice-free roads can't be guaranteed. "There is always the risk of rain washing off the salt just before a freeze and this, together with the fact that the Met Office cannot guarantee 100% accuracy in their forecasts and that it takes up to three hours to salt a route, means that motorists have to play their part by taking great care during wintry conditions. The best advice is in the Highway Code - drive with care even if roads have been salted; be prepared for road conditions changing over short distances; and take care when overtaking gritters", he said.
DRD Roads Service salts main roads carrying more than 1,500 vehicles per day as well as other busy through routes with special difficulties (e.g. steep hills) that carry over 1,000 vehicles per day. In applying the criteria, service buses and school buses get a high weighting - a 40 seater bus is counted as 40 vehicles. Small settlements of more than 100 dwellings each have a salted link via the shortest route to the salted network, and consideration is given to placing grit piles or salt boxes at hills, bends or junctions on roads that are not gritted. In total, an operation on this scale of will cost around £5m over the winter.
Because of this high cost, it is vital that Roads Service's civil engineers take informed decisions with the help of the latest technology. This includes ice sensors linked to 20 weather stations across Northern Ireland, and thermal mapping of all roads on the network. The Met Office uses information from these stations along with their own data to provide forecasts which are transmitted to engineers' computers.
Roads Service also tries to ensure that wherever possible, motorists are kept fully up to date with road conditions at this time of year. Information on salting activities is relayed electronically to the broadcast media to ensure the latest news on road conditions is available to motorists.
Mr Beattie said: "We see at first hand how winter can be especially hazardous, giving rise to extremely difficult driving conditions. The worst problems normally occur during heavy and prolonged snowfall and this is where there is the high risk of disruption. Thankfully in Northern Ireland the occurrence of snow is rare. Yet when it comes, more often wet and soggy than dry crisp and even, there is no quick remedy. All gritters will be fitted with snow ploughs and we will spread salt at up to three times the normal rate. But clearing snow is much more difficult than dealing with frost, because of the large volume of frozen material. The best advice to drivers is to stay off the road when severe weather hits."
Roads Service's plans for dealing with snow means that all efforts will be directed to clearing snow from motorways and the trunk roads, before moving to other main roads and the busiest urban link roads. The operation will continue until all roads are cleared, but this may take some time even with all resources deployed. In very deep snow, Roads Service's Northern Division will use some of Roads Service's 11 snow blowers, the latest of which can shift 1,600 tons of snow an hour. Arrangements are also in place to enlist the help of contractors (including farmers) to clear blocked roads.
A winter service leaflet is also available to help inform the public about winter driving and is available by calling 02890 540540 or from the website at www.roadsni.gov.uk.
Northern Division encompasses the local council areas of Antrim, Ballymena, Larne, Ballymoney, Moyle, Coleraine, Limavady and Derry.
Media queries to: Emma Flynn Davies, Press Office, Department for Regional Development, Tel: 028 9054 0372.
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