Big thaw predicted to ease borough’s roads

TRUE grit . . . a council worker digs in

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.