Winter has arrived, as Suffolk Highways prepares its gritting fleet for action on the Shotley peninsula and beyond. 

With 39 gritting lorries, around 17,000 tonnes of salt and a winter team of over 80 people, our depots are ready to spread salt and treat over 2,000 miles of roads across the county. 

Suffolk Highways has been carefully planning for the arrival of the colder weather, including training and hiring drivers, checking the routes and preparing the gritting lorries for action. The service is responsible for gritting 36 Priority 1 (P1) routes, which amounts to around 1,259 miles, including all A and B roads (except trunk roads), roads to fire stations, hospitals, main bus routes and rail stations.

They also have 34 Priority 2 (P2) routes, which amounts to around 843 miles of the network, this includes other bus routes, roads leading to rural villages and access to schools.

The P1 routes are completed when road surface temperatures are forecast to drop below 1°C and P2 routes are carried out when the forecast predicts there to be a longer period of cold weather.

But gritting the priority network isn't all that the teams do to prepare our county for wintry weather; Suffolk Highways has also refilled 2,100 grit bins across the county at registered locations, such as the bottom of hills, or on junctions of minor roads. Grit bins are owned by parish and town councils and to ensure that the contents of grit bins are used to make roads safer, our communities are encouraged to monitor how and where the grit is used and if more is required to report it via the reporting tool.

 Suffolk Highways is encouraging residents to make sure their cars are winter ready and ensure they drive to the condition of the road, as a treated road may still have some ice forming particularly in areas where there is water runoff from adjacent land.

 Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for Ipswich, operational highways and flooding, said: "As the temperatures continue to fall, our highways teams are ready for whatever the weather throws our way.

"Each year, however severe, the highways teams deliver a successful winter operation, keeping the roads clear to ensure our residents are kept safe and our county moving. 

"I encourage residents to do their bit and support our teams by driving to the conditions and parking considerately, leaving enough room so that our vehicles can grit the road - if we can't fit, we can't grit.

"To find out where Father Gritmas, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Spread Sheeran and the rest of our fleet are gritting, you can follow our whereabouts on social media."

More information on gritting can be found, here: Check which roads are gritted in Suffolk - Suffolk County Council, and details of which roads are gritted can be found on one.network, by selecting the 3 lines on the search box, then data layers, driver information then winter gritting routes.

Suffolk Highways' winter gritting efforts forms part of the county council's wider 'Winter Matters' campaign, which has launched today, which offers advice to help Suffolk residents stay warm, safe and well this winter. 

From stopping the spread of winter illnesses, to heating your home for less, residents can find advice at www.suffolk.gov.uk/wintermatters to help you and your loved ones look after your money, health, wellbeing and safety during the colder months. Information will be regularly shared on the council's social media channels throughout winter, follow Suffolk County Council on Facebook or @SuffolkCC on X, using the hashtag #WinterMatters.