THE constant gritting regime this winter has cost Devon County Council more than �1 million so far - and that bill is set to rise as another Arctic blast is forecast over the next couple of days.

THE constant gritting regime this winter has cost Devon County Council more than �1 million so far - and that bill is set to rise as another Arctic blast is forecast over the next couple of days.

More than 18,000 tonnes of salt has been used on Devon's road network since the 30 November, the equivalent of one and a half winters and nearing the amount of 20,000 tonnes that was used for the whole of last year's exceptionally cold winter.

Gritters will be out again this evening ensuring that routes are salted and all of the primary network, nearly 1,700 miles of roads including A and B roads, will be treated at 4:30am tomorrow morning as road temperatures are again set to plummet to -4C.

The county's main salting routes remain clear and passable with care, with the exception of some moorland routes. Treatment off the major network has ceased, except to support access to hospitals and Secondary schools.

Devon's 1,550 grit bins are also constantly being re-filled as resources allow and residents are reminded that only small amounts of grit are required to be effective. Grit it provided in the bins is only for use on the public highway and should be used sparingly.

There has been a slight rise in temperatures which has seen a partial melt over the weekend in some areas, but freezing conditions overnight mean that black ice could become a problem, especially on minor roads which remain treacherous.

Heavy snow is forecast for Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday, with four inches expected to fall across widespread areas of Devon and the possibility of up to 12 inches of snow on higher ground.