GRITTERS are due to start preparing South Gloucestershire’s roads ahead of a predicted wintry cold snap this weekend.

The district’s gritting fleet is ready for the first serious cold spell of the winter and this year for the first time, cycle paths will also be treated.

South Gloucestershire Council’s winter maintenance team is due to distribute hundreds of tonnes of salt on main roads as temperatures were expected to plummet over the weekend (November 20 and 21).

Head of the council’s StreetCare service, Mark King, said: “Temperatures will be getting colder and we will be regularly salting all main routes in the district to prevent ice from developing.

“This year we are extending our salt treatment of cycle and shared use paths in the district. From mid-December we will be using some new equipment which will help us grit many of our key cycle commuter routes, in recognition of the important role they play in our transport network.

“We encourage motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to heed local weather warnings and to take extra care when out and about on the district’s roads and footpaths.”

The council regularly grits around 30 per cent of South Gloucestershire’s road network when ice has been predicted including main A and B roads, and routes to schools, care providers, fire, ambulance and police stations.

Eleven hi-tech vehicles and more than 50 staff are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the winter months, to keep schools open, businesses running and emergency services on the road.

The winter maintenance service switches to 24/7 operation from November 1 to March 31. The council has 5,000 tonnes of salt in stock - enough to last through the winter.

Vehicles are GPS-enabled and use a network of roadside sensors used to monitor road conditions throughout the district. The service is recognised as one of the best-performing in the UK, both in terms of its track record in keeping the roads open, and in overall cost-effectiveness.

Latest information on council services affected by severe weather, including school closures and details of winter gritting routes, is available from southglos.gov.uk/snow