Gritting on main roads in Reading is set to take place this winter as temperatures plummet and drivers wake up to freezing temperatures.

Reading Borough Council is the highways authority responsible for making sure roads are in a safe condition.

The council has contracted J. H. Cresswell & Sons Ltd to conduct gritting in the borough, in a contract worth £2.741 million (£2,741,329) according to the council's Q1 contract register for 2024.

According to the council's procedures, gritting will take place below 1°C and when temperatures are predicted to go below zero in the evening.

Last winter (2023/24) gritting lorry drivers conducted 34 primary runs and three secondary runs to de-ice roads in the town.

This information was featured in a presentation on the council's Winter Service Plan.

New technology will allow staff to identify which roads need gritting the most.

Sam Shean, the council's highways & traffic services manager explained: "There are road sensors provided on some street columns in our borough and the gritting vehicle will have a sensor on it, as it does the gritting runs it will pick up local data.

"This enhanced data will allow the forecaster to make an informed decision which should allow us to reduce the number of times we need to grit in Reading.

"Currently gritting decisions are made from weather stations that are not even near Reading."

During a run, gritting lorries are dispatched from Cresswell & Sons depot in Aldermaston, which stores the salt used to melt the ice.

For 2024/25, it will store 900 tonnes of salt for the council, which will reduce to 600 tonnes after March 31, 2025.

Gritters are expected to start salting within an hour of being instructed, with each primary salting route being designed to be completed within a maximum of three hours from the vehicle leaving the depot.

Councillor Will Cross (Labour, Redlands) noted that the council does not grit cycling routes as a precaution, while giving advice that cyclists can continue to ride.

Mr Shean explained gritting roads and paths takes place where "reasonably practicable."

Details of what happens when roads freeze over are contained in the council's Winter Service Plan 2024/25.

The plan also stated that the council's highways and drainage team is reviewing how often gullies are emptied to ensure they are clear to avoid flooding from rainwater.

Welcoming this, cllr Sarah Hacker (Independent, Battle) said: "I was really pleased to see mention of the gullies and taking into account heavy rain events.

"I'm surprised none of us have grown gills with the summer we've had!

"The torrential rain and flash flooding has been really problematic, I do believe this is going to continue to be a problem maybe forever, until the sun explodes!

"So it's really nice to see that change is coming into place."

The council's Winter Service Plan 2024/25 was unanimously approved at a housing, neighbourhoods and leisure committee on November 13.