Gritting and winter maintenance

During periods of snow and ice, priority is given to maintaining safe driving conditions frequently used routes main roads and bus routes, which accounts for nearly 170 miles Trafford’s roads.

From October to April, we monitor our roadside weather station in combination with the Met Desk weather forecast so we know when to grit the roads, and how much grit to use.

In the case of snow, gritting is likely to be continuous. Where the thickness of snow exceeds 30mm, ploughing may also be considered.

Gritting routes

Trafford’s highway network is broken down into priority routes (precautionary network) and secondary routes. We treat the precautionary network first, then the secondary routes are treated if resources are available. You can view a list of gritting priority roads.

View our 5 gritting routes on an interactive map.

Due to changing weather conditions the service may have to revert to prioritising the precautionary network, even if gritting on secondary routes has not been completed.

Footways

Some footways will also be treated if significant snowfall or icing has occurred. Footways which are prioritised for treatment may include:

  • town centres
  • shopping areas 
  • other areas of high pedestrian use

Grit bins

There are currently 92 self-help grit bins throughout Trafford. These are located at existing known trouble spots such as sharp bends, steep hills, junctions and mainly on roads not covered by the precautionary network. Each bin is inspected annually and refilled before the start of the winter season.

Further help and information 

If there is a hazard relating to snow or ice, you can report this online.

Report an issue online