Surrey County Council are again ready for winter with more than £2.5 million being spent on a programme that includes using more than 40 specialist vehicles, hi-tech monitoring equipment, weather stations and 16,000 tonnes of grit to prepare for the winter ahead.

SCC have also resurfaced or repaired more than 200 miles of road in the year to April, as well as repairing more than 20 miles of footpaths and pavements and updating two miles of drainage.

£5 million extra has also been put aside to repair the 200 roads in most need of fixing after cold weather damage.

Highlights of the Winter Service Plan include:

·         Providing 39 gritters, all fitted with location trackers and salt-spreading monitors;

·         Preparing more than 1,800 roadside salt bins across Surrey by October;

·         Installing 6 weather stations providing real-time updates on air and road temperature, rainfall and salt and ice levels;

·         Extending the trial of alternative vehicles (such as quad bikes) in the winter clear-up;

·         Having a standby team of 51 farmers to give extra support in less accessible areas.

John Furey, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “We prepared well last year and have repeated that preparation this year. We are spending £100 million on completely ripping up and relaying more than 300 miles of road in the next three years under Operation Horizon. These roads have a 10-year guarantee – or the contractor pays.”

During last year’s snow, SCC’s fleet of gritters treated a staggering 10,000 miles of road in just 4 days!