Grittersaurus Rex prepares for winter

As temperatures begin to dip, Kent County Council’s (KCC) highways team are ready to roll - armed with 23,000 tonnes of salt, 60 salting vehicles and a countywide network of over 3,000 salt bins.

Each year, KCC’s highways team prepares for the colder months with a coordinated operation to keep Kent’s roads safe and moving. Last winter, the team carried out 57 primary salting runs, using over 11,500 tonnes of salt, and achieved a 99% on-time completion rate for salting operations.

Key highlights of the 2025/26 preparations include:

• smarter gritting routes: refined to improve efficiency and ensure roads that really need treatment are prioritised
• plenty of salt in stock: KCC stores more than the recommended amount of salt across its depots
• extra support in snowy weather: in addition to primary routes, designated snow routes will be treated during severe weather, with support from local farmers
• support for neighbourhoods: all 3,000 salt bins have been inspected, filled, and mapped, with parish councils encouraged to report any issues via KCC’s online fault reporting tool.

In addition to gritting, crews' efforts include improving road drainage to prevent hazardous conditions caused by standing water and flooding, which can be especially dangerous in winter.

“The dedication of our teams, the investment in equipment and the collaboration with partners all play a vital role in delivering this essential service.”

Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Our winter service is about more than just gritting roads - it’s a carefully planned operation that helps keep Kent moving safely in all weathers. The dedication of our teams, the investment in equipment and the collaboration with partners all play a vital role in delivering this essential service.

‘These are the same crews who fix our potholes and respond to emergencies year-round, they deserve our thanks and respect when out on the roads.”

The winter service runs from October to April, with a core period from December to February. Residents can expect to see gritters out if temperatures are predicted to dip below zero degrees. However, KCC is reminding residents that during extreme cold - when temperatures drop below -6°C - salt’s effectiveness decreases, so roads may still become icy, even if they’ve been gritted.

Source & picture credit: Kent County Council