With the winter season approaching, the assessment criteria used to decide which roads are pre-treated with salt in advance of forecasted ice or snow has been reviewed to reflect the effect that altitude can have on road surface temperatures. The development follows a Cabinet decision made on 04 September 2018.
Altitude will now be added to the overall assessment process that determines which Ceredigion roads are pre-treated.
This will result in more consideration being given to higher altitude roads in the county. Higher altitude roads need enhanced consideration for pre-treatment because air temperatures can fall between 0.5°c and 1°c for every 100m of altitude increase. This is one of many factors that will affect the road surface temperature.
The Cabinet Member responsible for Highways and Environmental Services, Councillor Dafydd Edwards, said, “Roads in Ceredigion create a challenging range of circumstances for the Council’s Highways Team. With coastal and inland roads; high and low altitude roads, the way we prioritise gritting needs to reflect these complexities. With this change to better reflect the effect of altitude on Ceredigion roads, I’m sure that our Highways Team will once again keep our roads safe in the coming months.”
The Cabinet’s decision allows the Council to make further progress in reaching two of the Council’s corporate priorities; which are boosting the economy and providing environmental and community resilience.
06/09/2018