Gritting lorries will be out in force

Scores of Devon’s roads will be treated with extra salt today as temperatures continue to drop.

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Devon remains in the grip of the big freeze tonight as the county council’s gritters are again called into action.

Another evening of extremely low temperatures is forecast for the whole of Devon, with road surface temperatures below freezing from early evening and set to drop to -9C in the north and east of the county.

Devon’s gritters are continuing their ongoing efforts to salt the county’s main salting routes in order to keep them as safe and clear as possible.

Teams have been ensuring that icy and wet patches on the county’s roads have been treated with extra salt throughout the day, and snow has been cleared from areas of Dartmoor and Exmoor to ensure that all roads are passable with care.

Gritters will be heading out on 1,700 miles of Devon’s main salting routes between 2.30pm and 6pm, with further treatments at 8pm and 3am.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “Our gritting teams are continuing to respond to the conditions and they are working round the clock to keep our salting network as safe as possible.

“Road surface temperatures have been dropping lower each night and we’re seeing them fall even further this evening.

“Icy patches also remain a potential problem in parts of the county, where water has run-off from fields, so drivers must continue to take care when travelling, particularly overnight and in the early hours of tomorrow morning. “With such low temperatures, even roads which have been treated may still be icy.”

Devon County Council is reminding motorists of the following advice:

• Avoid overnight travel unless absolutely essential as roads will always be more hazardous at night with less traffic and colder temperatures;

• Never assume a road has been salted. Remember that showers or rain will wash salt off roads leaving them prone to ice, and in extreme cold even salting will not stop ice from forming;

• Allow additional time for your journey and reduce your speed;

• Drive with care and according to the conditions;

• If you have vulnerable or elderly neighbours, think about how they could possibly be helped through the cold spell;

• Listen to local radio for updates on current weather conditions.

For more information and travel advice visit: www.devon.gov.uk/winter_travel