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Big thaw predicted to ease borough’s roads
Date published: 24 December 2009
AFTER more than a week of heavy snowfall and the lowest temperatures since 1992, it looks like Oldham is finally starting to thaw.
The thermometer dropped to -9.4C on Wednesday night which transformed the borough’s snow-covered roads into treacherous ice rinks.
Chronicle weatherman Damian Rodgers predicts that temperatures will start to rise.
He said: “On Christmas Day we will see melting snow and cloudy skies.
“As we go into the weekend, temperatures will be slightly warmer and the snow will be thawing out, there might even be a few rain showers.”
But the council’s gritting team is working around the clock to keep motorists moving over the festive season.
Ten gritters with optional snow-ploughs are in almost continuous use alongside other operational kit such as JCBs and five distribution teams who are re-filling around 500 grit boxes.
Since last Friday, Oldham Council has now used more than 1,600 tonnes of grit and drivers have clocked up close to 7,000 miles
The priority is to keep the trans-Pennine route — the A62 (Huddersfield Road), the A627 (Ripponden Road), the A635 (Holmfirth Road) and A640 (Huddersfield Road) open. There are then seven main routes — such as major roads used by buses and emergency services — which are gritted first.
A map of these is available for the public to view at www.oldham.gov.uk/living/transport_streets/gritting_map_v2.pdf
Councillor Mark Alcock said: “We have an estimated 1,600 tonnes of grit left and are anticipating deliveries of a further 1,000 tonnes before the New Year. An additional 500 tonnes are on order as we continue to replenish our stock.”
The Snowline which the public can use to report hazardous roads or empty grit boxes is on 0161-770 4421/4423.
Comments
Im sure that you can go to the council depot and purchase some grit. I am guessing that you expect this resource free. You could always give us the old cherry that you pay your Council tax... so you get a range of hundreds of services for your money but expect more.
Is this council totally stupid -or is it totally indifferent to peoples needs?
Why give out telephone numbers 'which the public can use to report hazardous roads or empty grit boxes' when the council is closed until 04.01.10?
Reporting an empty grit box is for the benefit of all in the area and for use exclusively on the highway. This is a service that council tax payers pay for already, and are not receiving. The grit boxes do not get refilled as claimed by elected members and employees of the council. So much for the stickers on the grit boxes.
Have Your Say
Be aware and expect to be on hold for eight minutes if you try to report an empty grit box. Then be prepared to receive a load of old flannel on the lines of "we filled it recently, but the neighbours emptied it within two minutes". Then watch while the box remains unfilled.
By Get it right @ 24/12/2009 18:02:56