Salt storage barn in Harborough gets 4,500-ton delivery - enough to fill more than three Olympic-sized swimming pools
The salt barn in Gallowfield Road receiving 4,500 tons of grit last week.
BITTER winter weather and icy roads may seem a while away as we enjoy another balmy start to September, but highways bosses are already getting well prepared for the cold conditions ahead in Harborough.
Last week, 4,500 tons of salt was delivered to Harborough’s new £500,000 salt storage centre on the outskirts of town, on the A6 Gallowfield Road near to Gartree Prison.
The facility was completed last year to replace an aging storage barn in Billesdon and to provide a more central facility for the fleet of gritting lorries serving Harborough district.
Around 7,500 tons started arriving across the county last week from the supplier Salt Union to replenish Leicestershire County Council’s grit barns.
It will bring the total stock to more than 16,000 tons, enough to fill more than 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The Harborough and Lutterworth area is served by one other salt store, at Misterton near to Junction 20 of the M1.
A fifth of the county’s 17 gritting runs take place in the Harborough district.
David Slater, the county council’s support Cabinet member for transport, said: “It is important that we order our grit early so we can ensure we are as prepared as we can be for the winter.
“We ensured our barns were stocked last year so we didn’t run out, and we will be doing the same this year. During the winter, we’ll continue to monitor our stocks on a daily basis and re-order as necessary.
“The investment in the new barn at Harborough, demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Leicestershire’s road network is kept up and running during icy weather.”
From 2008-2010, most of the UK was been brought to a standstill during periods of the winter months when severe snow brought deadlock to the roads.
The 2008 snowstorms were the worst to hit the county since 1991 where it used 16,423 tons on 17 gritting runs – 60 per cent more salt than usual.
The council aims to grit 45 per cent of the road network when ice is predicted.
Gritting takes place along most A roads, some B and C-class roads, major commuter and bus routes and, as far as is possible, at least one route into all villages.
The county council has 17 gritters which spread roughly 150 tons of the special salt and molasses mix each night, covering around 1,200 miles of highway.
For more information on winter maintenance in Leicestershire, visit the council’s Winter Driving website..
Story by Alex Blackwell
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Weather for Market Harborough
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
