Northumberland’s gritter drivers have been working extended shifts “round the clock” this week amid a battle against the ongoing cold snap. Wintry weather continues to affect Northumberland and the wider region, with road surface temperatures dropping to almost -10C in several areas.
The county council has said more snow fell further inland than was anticipated and temperatures have remained stubbornly and consistently low in recent days. It means drivers have been working 10-hour shifts round the clock everyday since New Year’s Eve.
The hefty workload has meant teams have been able to complete all main primary gritting routes as well as maintaining the coverage of secondary routes. The local authority’s 4×4 support vehicles have also been out in force, helping with inspections, responding to incidents and accessing more remote or severely affected locations.
Councillor Mark Mather, cabinet member for highways at Northumberland County Council, said: “Our winter services team is well practised in keeping our roads clear and residents safe.
“This is a dedicated effort to ensure our communities remain connected and supported all winter long. In this current spell of wintry weather, once the main and secondary routes have been completed, drivers will then deviate from the standard routes to cover additional areas, including residential streets and housing estates.
“This will allow us to extend coverage into areas that are not normally included on the main runs and to address any outstanding issues.”
The weather has also impacted other council services – bin collections have been missed in rural towns and villages such as Rothbury and Longframlington as well as in Blyth due to both poor weather and abandoned cars. Residents are asked to leave their bins out and the council has apologised for any inconvenience.
A number of school buses have also been cancelled, while the council’s North Mobile Library service also did not run. The council say little change is expected this week, with road surface temperatures remaining low and further snowfall forecast.
The Met Office forecast for the North East for the coming days expects the weather to stay “bitterly cold” along with further wintry showers on Thursday. There is also a chance of heavy snow overnight into Friday although there is “low confidence” of this.
A yellow weather warning for ice covering much of the country, including the North East, is also in place with icy patches expected overnight on Tuesday going into Wednesday morning.
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