Gritters named with puns by children start to do test runs around Essex

Pun-tastic gritters nicknamed by schoolchildren will now be starting to travel around Essex to prepare for the start of winter.

Among them are Gritney Spears, Alexander the Grit and the Big G, which were the some of the winners in a competition throughout the county’s schools earlier in the year.

Other winners included Grit Monster, Ice Buster, Mrs Good Grit, Levi, Rory, Gustav and Ice Exterminator.

Essex County Council has stocked up on salt, drawn up rotas for drivers and tested all its gritting lorries, and the machines will now make dry runs across the main salt-spreading routes.

There are more than 60 gritters and at least 15,500 tonnes of salt in storage – but the whole winter usually needs between 18 and 20,000 tonnes, using 200 tonnes on every run.

Eddie Johnson, Essex county councillor for highways and transport, said: “School children did a great job of naming our gritters last winter and I am sure they will be excited to see them out on Essex roads in the coming months.

“This autumn our gritter drivers will be out on the main roads to test the vehicles and the routes to make sure that they are ready to go the moment they are needed.

“Last year we had quite a mild winter, but we are never complacent and have put in place robust measures to prepare for any challenging winter conditions.”

Winter officially begins on October 24, but is considered to be “high risk” during December.

Salting routes and salt bin locations are at www.essexhighways.org/Transport-and-Roads/Roads-and-Pavements/Winter-travel/Salting-routes.aspx.