Snow clearance

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, as Highway Authority, is responsible for precautionary salting and snow clearance from the maintainable highways within the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough area. The Highways Maintenance Section has produced a ‘Winter Maintenance Plan’ which explains how it will discharge, its obligations in connection with Highways Act 1980, and in particular Sections 41 and 150.

The Departments’ aim is, so far as is reasonably practicable, to maintain or reinstate free and safe traffic flow, on all routes as quickly as possible during the periods of severe weather and to ensure that safe passage along the highway is not endangered by snow or ice.

In icy conditions, priority will be given to routes to hospitals, fire stations, ambulance stations and emergency centres, followed by A and B routes, C routes and bus routes; These will be followed by through routes in built up areas and roads to isolated farms. Any other routes will be dealt with last.

The document explains fully the aims of the Department and the legislation that it is governed by. The Plan provides invaluable information with regards:

• Weather forecast details and how to interpret the forecast information
• Emergency planning
• Response Times
• Precautionary Salting (including agreed routes) & Snow Clearing
• Location of Grit Bins
• Dealing with the treatment and removal of snow from footways (including priority lists)