Winter service

Follow Essex Highways for the latest updates

Our winter service will resume on 23 October 2023. During the season, we treat over 2000 miles of roads in Essex, which is about 40% of our road network. These are the most important routes to keep moving. We operate 49 gritting lorries with ploughs plus 2 mini gritters with around 104 drivers who are deployed based on weather conditions.

For further guidance in case of severe weather conditions (school closures and other council services), see the main Essex County Council pages.

Severe weather warnings for East of England are available from The Met Office.

Winter decision making

Our decision makers get a report from our forecasters daily. This shows them minimum temperatures along with any hazards expected (frost, black ice, snow etc). From this they can make an informed decision whether to grit the County’s roads and the best time to do this. Roads are gritted before frost forms.

When they have made the decision, usually at lunchtime, they communicate this via our @essexhighways Twitter account using the hashtag #EssexGritters.

Information about our winter service
Find out more about our salting routes
Questions and answers about our winter service
In this section you will find further information on tracking the gritting lorries
Check your nearest salt bin on a map
What is the Salt Bag Partnership and how you can get involved
Tips to help you drive safely in winter
Helping to clear snow and ice in your neighbourhood