A DOZEN gritting vehicles and thousands of tonnes of salt will help keep the area moving as the cold weather starts to bite.

BCP Council’s highways maintenance team winter service operates between October and April and looks after 780 miles of road.

The council has a stock of 3,600 tonnes of dry rock salt and a fleet of 12 gritting vehicles on standby as temperatures plummet.

Bournemouth Echo: BCP Council's gritting routes BCP Council's gritting routes (Image: BCP Council)

Weather forecasts are received three times a day, and road temperatures are monitored by a series of weather stations across the region.

This allows the council to grit roads only when needed, and when it is most effective to do so.

Residents can use the council’s mapping system to check whether their road is on a gritting route.  

During snowy and icy weather, the council prioritises clearing routes for buses and emergency vehicles and maintaining access to hospitals, schools and main roads.

Primary routes include the Wessex Way, Poole Road, Alder Road, Barrack Road and Castle Lane West. 

Residents are encouraged to help clear snow and ice on the pavements and pathways outside their property.

Councillor Bobbie Dove, portfolio holder for community safety and regulatory services said: “As always, we are fully prepared for what the winter throws at us and we would like to encourage residents to think about what they can do to prepare for the challenging winter months ahead.”