Spreading: As temperatures continue to plummet, salt is totally ineffective on roads at -15℃.
The Lincolnshire County Council Highways team warns motorists and pedestrians that icy compacted snow and black ice won’t go away until the end of the week.
The Met Office has forecast temperatures will plunge as low as -15℃ in some areas in Lincolnshire this week, point at which salt is totally ineffective on roads.
The authority previously said that salt becomes less effective at -8℃, which is the reason why some roads are still icy, despite gritters spreading salt.
“Sub-zero temperatures are now presenting a new challenge and are predicted to last until the end of the week,” said Alan Aistrup, Divisional Highways Manager.
“Motorists should be aware that compacted snow during the day and black ice at night are now the major risks.
Salt can only do so much in combating these, particularly packed ice. In fact, at -15℃, it stops working at all,” Aisturp explained.
Many roads and pavements are now covered in several inches of compact ice, and people were urged to help clear the pavements themselves.
The County Council says this is because it is too hard for equipment to clear without a significant risk of damage to the surface layers.
The authority hopes that residents will help them by tackling their own roads and pavements while gritters tackle priority roads.
Whatsapp
