Gritters working round the clock
AS the county braces itself for another blast of snow and ice, gritters have been working around the clock to keep Suffolk moving.
SUFFOLK: As the county braces itself for another blast of snow and ice, gritters have been working around the clock to keep Suffolk moving.
A team of 100 workers at Suffolk County Council's Highway's depot in Great Blakenham have been working 12-hour shifts over Christmas and the New Year to keep our main roads clear.
Mike Slinn, 46, was on duty over the festive period and works from midnight to noon, loading trucks with precious salt to keep the ice at bay.
He said: “It does get tiring but it is something you just get used to. It is satisfying because we clear the roads so thousands of people can get to work in the mornings and it also saves lives.”
In a normal year, the county council expects to use around 15,000 tonnes of rock salt over the winter months.
Since December alone, 16,000 tonnes have been spread on the roads and stocks are running low as the cold snap continues.
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The county's 38 gritting trucks were being loaded up at 4pm yesterday to get a head start on the freezing conditions.
“It does get annoying when people criticise us because they don't get up when we do and come to work in the snow,” Mr Slinn said.
