SUFFOLK'S gritters will be using a new way of keeping the county's roads free of ice this winter.Three of the county council's gritters will be using salt water to wet salt as it is spread on the road.

SUFFOLK'S gritters will be using a new way of keeping the county's roads free of ice this winter.

Three of the county council's gritters will be using salt water to wet salt as it is spread on the road. This may seem an unlikely combination but it is a system successfully used in Europe which is now being used by councils in the UK to keep roads safe in freezing conditions.

Wetting the salt as it is spreads helps it to stick to the road and start to melt ice more quickly.

The three gritters will be operating from the county council's Halesworth depot and are fitted with tanks holding over two tonnes of concentrated salt water.

This will be sprayed onto the dry salt as it is spread on the road. The new gritters are also fitted with high-tech satellite tracking equipment to monitor progress.

This winter, more roads than ever in Suffolk will be salted whenever ice is forecast - a total of 1,140 miles. This includes all A and B roads in the county.

In severe snow, the county council can call on over 300 farmers and contractors with snow ploughing and digging equipment. This is in addition to the county council's own fleet of 45 purpose-built gritting lorries.

A leaflet is available giving details of which roads are gritted and more information about salting and snow-clearing services. This is available at council offices and libraries.

WEBLINK: www.suffolkcc.gov.uk