The current heatwave in the UK has forced Worcestershire County Council (WCC) to deploy Gritters to spread crushed stone across its network to help prevent road surfaces from melting.
Extended periods of temperatures over 30 degrees can cause road surfaces to melt, and with the county currently under a red weather warning, WCC has confirmed gritters have already been deployed to treat roads that are ‘showing signs of heat stress'.
Councillor Tom Wells, cabinet member with responsibility for highways and transport at Worcestershire County Council, said: ‘We know that gritters are something our residents associate with winter, snow and ice. During periods of extreme heat, however, gritting vehicles can also play an important role in protecting the highway network.
‘The vehicles spread a light dusting of crushed stone, rather than traditional salt, which helps absorb excess bitumen and reduces the risk of road surfaces melting by reflecting more of the sun's rays.
‘Our teams are doing everything they can during this heatwave to keep the county's roads safe for motorists and help limit the damage that high temperatures can cause to road surfaces.'
The council has also made some adjustments to its highways operations to prioritise safety for both the public and the workforce during this ongoing heatwave.
It stated that ‘most planned maintenance works' will be temporarily paused for the hottest parts of the day, while ‘essential safety-critical activities, including urgent defect repairs and network safety works' are still expected to continue. It has also temporarily suspended ‘certain scheduled inspection activities,' which it hopes will allow its teams to ‘focus on responding quickly to any heat-related issues on the network'.
