Drivers urged to take care

Overnight weather has created some of the worst driving conditions in years according to a highways chief.

Temperatures rose slightly at the end of yesterday, but followed by a series of rain and sleet showers that washed away the essential salt and soaked the roads before temperatures plummeted again.

Those conditions are likely to leave potentially dangerous sheet ice across many roads in Lincolnshire.

Lincolnshire County Council’s gritting team was out in force but the weather meant there was only so much it could do according to Darrell Redford, Network Resilience Manager.

“We want to be very clear about this – the roads will be extremely slippery as a result of these weather patterns. We have our entire fleet out around the clock, and we have 22,500 tonnes of specially treated salt to put on the roads. 

“Our entire team is doing every single thing that we can, and we will continue to work through the day and night, as we have since the cold weather arrived.

“But we can’t be everywhere on our 5,500-mile-long road network. We are using the very latest equipment and technology to get the most salt down where it will benefit the most road users and this is the best strategy.

"However, in extremes such as this, we want to get the word out to everyone about being extra vigilant.

“In terms of roads, these will be the worst weather conditions in years. The severity of what will happen to the salt we’re putting down with the warming up, the rain and then the severe re-freeze can’t be overstated.

"We will be salting after the rain, but this may still leave tricky conditions. Especially for roads off the salted network.

“Our advice is to only travel if you absolutely must. If you do have to travel, give yourself extra time to make the journey, and give other road users extra space and consideration as you go.

“Even with our around-the-clock and very extensive efforts for the county treacherous road conditions remain for everyone.”