Winter is coming – and Cambridgeshire is getting ready for it!

A strong fleet of gritters, quad bikes and crews have been driving around the county, while they carry out a trial run in preparation for winter.

The salt domes and barns have already been filled with 10,000 tonnes of rock salt ready for the start of the cold season.

It is vital the crews carry out a trial run to make sure the drivers re-familiarise themselves with the routes and any alterations, plus make sure there are no problems.

Grittney Spears and Brad Grit were on the roads with their 35 gritter pals across the county, along with the quad bike twins who will be going along the cycle routes in Cambridge City.

Although the vehicles travelled slowly, with warning lights, no grit was spread.

Last year crews went out 79 times and many of them were up through the night or in the early hours of the morning including Boxing Day, to make sure roads were treated.

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Chair of the Highways and Community Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Mathew Shuter said “Our gritter crews do a fantastic job in all weather conditions and even leave their families in the middle of Christmas holidays to make sure our roads are gritted.

“As we move into winter we want to make sure our crews are ready to go as soon as our weather stations indicate it’s time to grit.

“These trial runs are really important as they allow us to train new drivers and remind the existing ones of the routes they’ll be keeping clear over the next six months and provide any feedback.

“So please don’t be surprised if you see one out and about, as once we have done the trial we’ll be ready for when the cold weather snaps.”

If you are interested in volunteering to help us grit Cambridgeshire during winter months, visit our web page to find out you and your community can get involved: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/help-with-gritting/