Winter Salting on roads in South Tipperary
Severe Conditions
During the present severe conditions South Tipperary County Council advises as follows:
- Drive with Extreme Caution
- Reduce Speeds
- Check Tyre Conditions and Pressure
- Stay on Main Roads where Possible
- Keep a Safe Distance from Other Vehicles and Pedestrians
- Pedestrians Should Take Care on Footpaths
- Check Weather Forecast
See further advice from the Roads Safety Authority at http://www.rsa.ie/.
Road Salting Programme
South Tipperary County Council undertakes winter salting in line with Department guidelines. Thus priority is given to Motorways and National roads and thereafter to Regional roads with daily traffic volumes exceeding 2,000 vehicles per day and other important strategic roads. With 3,000km of roadway to maintain we must prioritise the use of resources. We recognise that this means that many roads will remain impassable over the current very severe conditions.
Number of Call Outs
In a typical year we activate about 25 call outs over the December, January and February period. However, we experienced 40 call outs in the 2008/2009 winter and we expect to exceed this figure in the current winter.
Routes Treated each Call Out
SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE SALT
The following National roads are treated in their entirety through the county:
- The M8 Motorway (Horse & Jockey to Mitchelstown)
- The N24 (Carrick-on-Suir to Limerick County)
- The N76 (Callan to Clonmel)
- The N74 (Cashel to Tipperary)
The following sections of Regional roads are treated:
- Clonmel to Fethard
- Clonmel to Cashel
- Clonmel to Ardfinnan
- Cashel to New Inn to Rathkeevin
- Cashel to Holycross
- Cashel to Dualla.
In addition, sections through the major towns are treated. Full details of all treated roads can be found on the attached document “(
53 kbs)
List of treated Roads
”.
The above involves the salting of 402 kilometres of road which is the limit of our capacity.
Salting Strategy
Crews are organised on a roster basis and exact call out time depends on the latest weather forecast. Special purpose weather stations monitor road temperatures and feed into Met Éireann where detailed forecasts are prepared and issued out to each local authority. Roads are salted where possible before ice forms. Where overnight conditions require, the above scheduled roads are treated again with crews starting at approximately 7:00 am.
This process has by in large successfully kept the major roads clear of ice. However, fresh falls of snow and sleet arising between such treatments may result in temporary dangerous conditions. Thus drivers are asked to take care even on the above mentioned routes.
Motorway Issues
Motorway drivers are advised to take extreme care when using the fast lane. Traffic volumes using this lane tend to be low and thus it is more prone to ice formation.
Other Local Areas
Further to the above countywide treatment, South Tipperary County Council also provides some level of salting during normal working hours at local Area Office level and within Town Councils. During severe winter weather, resources are deployed as best possible to treat isolated spots and areas of particular concern. However, it is impossible to keep all roads, footpaths, school routes, business areas, places of congregation, etc. free of ice on an ongoing basis. Thus local prioritisation of limited resources will be applied as public needs arise and as weather events occur.
Driver Responsibility
Area Offices and Town Councils have limited salt supplies and can treat ice locally as resources allow. It is very important that road users realise that any such treatment may only be for sections of a road and may readily be made ineffective by subsequent weather events. Thus it is important to drive with extreme caution and at reduced speeds.
On major roads, the scheduled 402km of treatment will be more consistent. However, weather events can rapidly change the safety of the road network. Furthermore, isolated ice spots can arise.
South Tipperary County Council hopes that with your help we can keep you safe during your journeys over the winter period.
