LONGFORD COUNTY COUNCIL ROADS DEPARTMENT
Winter Maintenance 2012/2013
During winter months Longford County Council monitor road conditions and in the event of frost and snow the County Council implement a winter gritting programme based on an agreed priority schedule of roads.
| route designation | description | level of service |
|---|---|---|
| Priority 1 | N4 N5 N55 N63 |
Road to be treated during all weather events - (106 km) |
| Priority 2 | R-194, R-392, R-397, L-1051, L-1042, L-1028, L-1099, |
Roads to be treated as part of the normal winter service but - Regional Roads – (155km ) - Selected Local Roads(85KM) Note: The length of some Local roads listed here may only be partially treated. See map in appendix for greater detail of roads treated. |
| Priority 3 | Routes that can be kept serviceable once Priority 1 & Priority 2 routes have been treated if resources allow |
Not treated as part of the normal winter service but may receive intermittent treatment during certain severe weather events |
Notes:
- Use our interactive maps to examine the Priority 1 (in red) and Priority 2 (in blue) Gritting Routes. Longford County Council Service Maps
- Alternatively you can view the routes on PDF Map showing various routes available here: Winter Maintenance Map
- In general all priority 3 roads will only be dealt with during certain severe weather events.
Current Practice in Longford
Thermal mapping of the County has been carried out and is available on the ICE CAST system. Salting routes have been prepared which are based on meteorological data and past experience. The Ice Cast service monitors weather stations and road temperature and conditions in Longford County on a continual basis throughout the day and this information is monitored.
County Council trucks fitted with Salt Spreaders are utilised to treat roads in the county. Salting is carried out having regard to the available data and the need to maintain essential services in severe weather conditions.
The extent of winter gritting varies from Local Authority to Local Authority. In general all National routes are gritted. The gritting of Regional and Local roads is a discretionary matter. Longford County Council makes decisions with regard to the gritting of roads, other than National Primary Routes, based on the availability of resources and the priorities outlined above.
Resources
Longford County Council carry out 24/7 monitoring of road conditions from mid October to April using detailed predictions provided by Met Eireann, roadside weather stations and ice prediction software.
A fleet of 6 trucks fitted with mountable / demountable steel grittars is used to spread salt on an agreed priority road network whenever road frost, snow or ice is forecast. This network is detailed in the attached map.
The Council has 2 lorry-mounted snow ploughs for use during significant snow / sleet conditions.
Gritting salt is supplied by the NRA and the Department of Transport.
Service Limitations
Ice-free roads cannot be guaranteed. The motorist should remember the following:
- Approximately 90% of roads are NOT routinely salted.
- In Ireland there are a high proportion of marginal nights when temperatures are very close to zero. This makes is more difficult to accurately predict frost than in colder countries. As a consequence Met Eireann can only guarantee 80% accuracy in their forecasts.
- It can take up to 4 hours to salt a route, so any journey may start or end on an untreated section of route.
- In heavy rain, salt can be washed away and the wet surface may subsequently freeze if the temperature falls below zero.
- In cases of extended severe weather events, it is possible that only Priority 1 routes will be salted.
Driving in winter conditions involves particular risks. The National Roads Authority has produced a leaflet entitled Safe Winter Driving that provides useful advice for motorists on how best to deal with these risks.
Please view the NRA Safe Driving Guidelines
