Freezing winter again?? Is there enough salt to keep roads open?

limklad · 14-10-2010 11:52AM #1

After last year fiasco with not enough salt for the harsh winter, what did the government and local councils learnt from it?
Are predications from weather long term forecasters like Positive Weather Solutions been taken seriously. I look up their website and I do not see a history to comapre it to previous weather to determine their accuracy.
http://www.independent.ie/weather/cold-snap-to-herald-another-icy-winter-2378595.html
In any case no matter who is right in predication long term weather forecasters are, there is one thing for sure with global warming, there will be more extreme weather events.

Is there an improve plan to have salt properly delivered in another long term Freezing event like last winter?
Can our economy recover while our roads are unusable if the Government and Local Councils are napping?

Pete_Cavan · 14-10-2010 05:54PM

A lot of councils around the country at building salt barns at the minute in order to store grit of the winter. I check the etenders website every day for work and have seen invitations to tender for salt barns in Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Lucan, Wexford, Offlay, two in Kilkenny. Thats just off the top of my head, could be more which I cant remember seeing. They left it very late in the year to look for tenderers as a lot of these only appeared in the last month or two.

recyclebin · 14-10-2010 06:42PM

I work in the gritter manufacturing area and there has been a big increase in the number of snow ploughs and gritters ordered this year.

Brian CivilEng · 14-10-2010 09:41PM

I can just see the politicians after a few mild winters giving out about the money spent on stockpiling grit. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Jayuu · 16-10-2010 12:31AM

abitofacomedian wrote: »

I can just see the politicians after a few mild winters giving out about the money spent on stockpiling grit. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I can also see a lot of ordinary people complaining as well in these circumstances. Its a very particular Irish thing to do. As a nation we have very short memories about things like this.

Stinicker · 16-10-2010 02:42PM

The Council left a road down here untreated for 4 weeks in which it was impossible to travel. Solution by locals - Tractor and Dump trailer & JCB to the beach and filled up a load of seasand and small gravel and added the mix into fertilizer spreaders. Best stuff of all!

limklad · 18-10-2010 11:11AM

Stinicker wrote: »

The Council left a road down here untreated for 4 weeks in which it was impossible to travel. Solution by locals - Tractor and Dump trailer & JCB to the beach and filled up a load of seasand and small gravel and added the mix into fertilizer spreaders. Best stuff of all!

Where is "down here"?

Stonewolf · 20-10-2010 10:17PM

I'd prefer if the councils employed snowploughs and normal grit in preference to salt. My exhaust was completely ruined by all the salting from last winter.

L1011 · 20-10-2010 11:23PM

Stonewolf wrote: »

I'd prefer if the councils employed snowploughs and normal grit in preference to salt. My exhaust was completely ruined by all the salting from last winter.

Snow ploughing and our old grit/molasses mix does bog all when its -12c. Nice, snow-free icerinks.

ardmacha · 20-10-2010 11:44PM

Snow ploughing and our old grit/molasses mix does bog all when its -12c. Nice, snow-free icerinks.

If it stayed -12C the snow could be ploughed and wouldn't melt. It is temperatures getting aroound zero and then falling back that causes the problem. If there is a snow of any depth then it should be ploughed though.

cnocbui · 23-10-2010 10:19AM

Snow Chains.

dubhthach · 23-10-2010 11:23AM

abitofacomedian wrote: »

I can just see the politicians after a few mild winters giving out about the money spent on stockpiling grit. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Awh well I'd prefer them stockpiling grit then stockpiling voting machines that can never be used. TBH the councils should own enough land that they could build their own "grit granaries" and not have to pay for storage.

grogi · 02-11-2010 10:26PM

cnocbui wrote: »

Snow Chains.

Don't be ridiculous - chains are useful for deep snow, maybe somewhere in the mountains.

Just get yourself a set of winter tires, they really make the difference.

Freezing winter again?? Is there enough salt to keep roads open?

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