Highways winter service begins with 25 gritters needing names

The gritters join Dermot Snow Cleary and Spreddie Mercury in Essex’s winter fleet.

A naming competition has been launched for 25 gritting vehicles in time for Essex Highways’ winter service.

The gritters will be based at Springfield depot and the new Dunmow depot to help keep Essex roads free of ice as the days get colder.

They join 34 other gritters named by Essex residents in previous years, including Dermot Snow Cleary, Volder Grit, Gritty McGrit Face, PLOWIE and Spreddie Mercury.

This year’s competition, ‘Name our Winter Heroes’, will be held on Essex Highways’ social media channels until 30 November. Entrants must:

• Follow Essex Highways on Facebook and X
• Check the names of current gritters at www.essexhighways.org/track-the-gritting-lorries
• Suggest names for the new gritters via Microsoft Forms by 30 November

Suggestions should be related to Essex, winter and/or a local celebrity. They will be shortlisted based on their suitability before a vote is carried out on social media.

Creative names help residents track each gritter and their routes on Essex Highways’ live map.

Essex Highways closely monitors weather and road temperatures during its winter service to see when roads need gritting. Salt bins in local communities have also been filled in preparation for the cold months.

Highways crews have been conducting trial runs to familiarise themselves with gritting routes. These are the same teams who work year-round on road and pavement repairs in Essex, with more repairs carried out in summer to prepare for severe weather.

The teams carried out 39 gritting runs last winter, using over 10,000 tonnes of salt across 2,000 miles. This covered 51 gritting routes in the county.

Dunmow depot, which opened earlier this year, will be operational for the first time. It provides an additional 3,000 tonnes of salt to help Essex Highways respond to adverse conditions.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council, said: “I look forward to seeing what creative names the people of Essex will come up with for this year’s gritters. I think it will be tough to top Spreddie Mercury.

“Residents can see what vehicle is on which route via Essex Highway’s live map. I encourage residents to use this when planning their journeys as the days and nights get colder.

“Essex Highways has worked hard to ensure we’re well equipped for whatever the weather throws at us this winter. I’d like to thank all the teams involved for their dedication and wish residents the best of luck in the competition.”

Robbie Jamieson, Essex Highways Winter Service Manager, said: “We’re fully prepared for this year’s winter season. Our teams have been out familiarising themselves with the routes, and with the addition of the Dunmow depot, we’re in a stronger position than ever to keep Essex moving through the colder months.”