The Highways Maintenance Section of the Environmental Services Directorate has the responsibility to undertake gritting and snow clearance on the adopted highway network. A priority system for gritting is in place, since it is impossible to grit all the Borough’s roads to prevent ice forming, or to clear snowfall. A computerised Ice Prediction System gives the Winter Maintenance Duty Officers the latest weather information as well as actual road surface temperatures, from two sensor sites within the Borough. This information enables the Duty Officers to make their Operational decisions. Precautionary salting/gritting is undertaken when there is a clear probability of ice or snow, i.e. when wet road surfaces are expected to fall to, or below 0o Celsius.
Roads which are gritted/salted are done in the following priority order:
The Council currently provide grit boxes on certain roads away from the primary and secondary gritting routes. Re-filling of these boxes does cause significant operational problems and their use is restricted.
The provision of grit boxes is determined by use of an assessment criteria, which uses a points system. Factors considered include:
To report a problem, or obtain more information, please contact the Highway Operations and Maintenance Group using the Contact Information details listed below.
Telephone: 0161 770 4421 / 4423
Fax: 0161 770 3412
E-mail: gritting@oldham.gov.uk
Address: Highways Maintenance, Environmental Services, Lees Road Depot, Hamilton Street, Oldham, OL4 1DA