THE Cornish band of “salt spreading superheroes”, 25 gritters, are ready for action to help keep residents on the move.

Locals might spot Choughed to Grits, Proper Job and Gritchard Trevithick, among others, taking to the streets this winter after residents nominated and voted for their top 25 gritter names.

Last year, Cormac’s gritters treated more than 34,500 miles of Cornish roads – travelling the equivalent of one and a half times around the earth – and used around 5,500 tonnes of salt – equivalent to the weight of 11 Jumbo Jets.  Salting reduces the freezing point of water, stopping ice from forming.

Cormac’s 78 strong crew is on 24-hour standby between November and March, ready to take action based on constantly monitored temperatures, information from 22 road sensors and expert weather forecasts.  

This information is used to decide when to spread salt on roads before the expected time of freezing. Sometimes, the weather can be difficult to predict, especially in Cornwall, so crews are also ready to respond to emergency situations at very short notice. 

It takes around three hours to treat each of the council’s 25 salting routes which cover around 1,400 km (870 miles) of the road network and include the most heavily used A and B roads in Cornwall. Between them, these roads carry around  80 per cent of daily traffic. Cormac also salt the roads to key sites such as hospitals, minor injury units, ambulance and fire stations, bus and railway stations and secondary schools.  

Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “Each winter our crews work hard traveling thousands of miles in often treacherous conditions to keep our busiest roads open.

“However, it isn’t possible to treat every road in Cornwall and so drivers should always take particular care at this time of year – don’t assume a road has been treated or is frost free. It can take up to ten times longer to stop in icy conditions.”

Cornwall’s main trunk roads – the A30 to Penzance and the A38 - are the responsibility of National Highways, which manages its own winter service.

At the start of the season crews fill more than 700 grit bins throughout Cornwall, which are managed by town and parish councils to help salt key local footpaths and roads that do not form part of the Council’s salting network. 

Salt is stored in covered barns based in Cormac’s highway depots throughout Cornwall.  We currently have around 15,000 tonnes of salt ready for use this winter stored at seven locations across Cornwall and will replenish these stocks during the winter months if required.   

There is further advice and information at  www.cornwall.gov.uk/snow