Trafford’s winter gritting season officially came to an end in April, following several months of activity to help keep roads and pavements safe during periods of ice and snow.
Through the One Trafford Partnership (OTP), gritting teams carried out 33 gritting runs between October 2025 and the end of the season, spreading around 1,235 tonnes of salt and covering 15,744 miles of the borough’s highway network. Priority routes, including main roads and bus corridors, were treated first, with secondary routes gritted when conditions required.
Throughout the season, teams closely monitored weather forecasts provided by the Met Desk, reviewing conditions hourly and planning gritting activity up to 24 hours in advance, ensuring resources were deployed quickly and effectively ahead of freezing conditions.
The programme was also supported by the addition of five new gritters to the OTP’s fleet. Equipped with route mapping, sat nav integration and onboard CCTV, the vehicles enabled more precise salt spreading and improved monitoring of grit levels in real time, helping teams work more efficiently during challenging conditions.
Cllr Stephen Adshead, Executive Member for Highways, Environmental and Traded Services, said:
“The end of the season was a chance to recognise the hard work undertaken behind the scenes.”
“Preparing for and responding to winter weather is a major operation,” they said, “The dedication of our gritting teams has once again helped keep Trafford moving and reduced the risk for drivers and pedestrians alike.”
In addition to road gritting, priority footpaths in town centres and high footfall areas were treated during periods of severe weather. Residents were also supported by 93 self help grit bins located across Trafford, providing access to grit for localised icy spots on roads and pavements not covered by the priority gritting network.