Our Winter Gritting Service
During the coming winter months, we prepare for any adverse weather which may impact the network. Our gritting teams are on stand by 24/7 from October to April, the months where we're most likely to be impacted by the continuous dropping temperatures.
Have you ever wondered why we grit, or how it works? 'Rock salt' is used as grit which prevents frost and ice forming on the roads and helps melt already present ice. Traffic is required to pass through the laid salt to create moisture and turn it into a de-icing solution. More information is provided on our infographic below.
Please remember, if we can't fit, we can't grit. We often experience issues with vehicles double parking along our gritting routes. If we can't fit then neither can an ambulance or fire engine! Please remember to always park with consideration.
Follow @CECHighways on Twitter for daily gritting actions or click here to view our gritting routes.
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Reporting highway issues during Christmas
Over the Christmas period, please continue to report highway issues to us online.
Any highway issues that present an immediate danger should be telephoned through on 0300 123 5020 during normal working hours between 08:30am – 5pm or 0300 123 5025 outside of normal hours.
Any issues reported between the 21 December and the 3 January 2023 will be assessed and prioritised in line with any other issues. Any enquiries made before or after these dates will follow the usual reporting process.
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Road Safety Week 2022
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Annually, Cheshire East Highways participate in Road Safety Week which is a campaign organised by the charity 'Brake' to raise awareness about road safety. Messages on safe driving were shared through our Twitter account @CECHighways such as allowing extra time for journeys and locking your mobile phone away whilst driving. Tips on road safety were also shared with our teams.
The theme this year was 'Safer Roads for All' and relates to our 'Share the Road' campaign which was developed by the Cheshire Road Safety Group which includes Cheshire East Highways, Cheshire Police, Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington Borough Council and Holton Borough Council.
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The ambition of the campaign is to prevent avoidable, serious and fatal collisions on roads by increasing awareness that everyone has the right to use the road safely. For more information on the campaign, click here.
Keep up to date with the latest road safety information across Cheshire East:
October's highways highlights
We produce a summary report which shows an overview of the work we have completed. Did you know, in October we emptied 7,431 gullies!
Gullies and drains
Do you know the difference between an overflowing and blocked gully?
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An overflowing gully can appear blocked after heavy rain due to a slow running drain, after heavy rain has stopped the gully should appear clear. If after some time it doesn't, this can mean that the gully is blocked. A blocked gully will remain overflowing or flooding when the rain has cleared. |
Please only report overflowing or blocked gullies if it is still causing a flood when the heavy rain clears. Blocked gullies will be emptied as part of our gully emptying programme where we empty them and check that they are working.
If you notice that the fallen leaves on pavements or mud on the roads are causing a slip or skid hazard, please select the street sweeping category on fix my street.
Improving our incident response
Our Incident Response Units are on call 24/7 and attend incidents such as flooding, fallen trees, road traffic collisions and more. To help with incident response, the Fire Service College provide training to a variety of emergency response teams such as the Fire & Rescue Service, the Police and National Highways Traffic Officers.
Some of our incident response team attended a 'First Responder, Incident Response' training course in conjunction with the Fire Service College to raise awareness of our front-line incident response crews. The training day allowed the team to understand and develop their situational awareness and perception of risks around various situations they are called to whilst out on the network.
If you witness an emergency on the roads, please dial 999 as soon as it is safe to do so - the emergency services will then decide whether the highways team are needed for traffic management or general assistance. Highway emergencies such as flooding and fallen trees should be reported to us on 0300 123 5020.
What is a Green Claim?
Our Green Claims team are responsible for claiming back costs linked to damaged street furniture or infrastructure caused by a third party.
Any damage to our assets by a third party where we have incurred a cost to repair or replace is claimed back by the team. Damaged assets can range from street lighting columns, signs, bollards, barriers, bridges, oil spillages on the road, fallen trees and more.
Liaising with the police and the Council's Customer Contact Centre, our team collate the information for the claim to cover the costs for our repairs, traffic management requirements, materials and labour.
If you have witnessed an incident whereby any of the above assets have been damaged, let us know by calling 0300 123 5020.
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Remembrance Day
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In November, we remembered those who have served and sacrificed by marking Armistice Day with two minutes of silence.
Poppies were painted on the highway back in 2021, with some being refreshed this year in areas such as Alsager and Bollington, in honour of the service and sacrifice provided by our Armed Forces, veterans and their families.
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Share your views on electric vehicle charging points strategy
Cheshire East Council wants to hear your views on its draft strategy for an electric vehicle charging network across the borough.
The strategy reviews the current public charging network in the borough and considers a range of measures the council intends to progress to increase the number of charging points and boost the quality of the EV charging network.
The council will work with a range of partners including charge point operators, district network operators and central government to source external funding to help deliver improvement in provision to meet future needs.
A public consultation on the council’s draft EV infrastructure strategy closes on 22 December so last chance to have your say.
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To take part in the online consultation click here.
You can also request alternative formats of the consultation by contacting the council’s customer contact centre on 0300 123 5500. Printed copies will be available in local libraries.
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Works update
A533 Newcastle Road Carriageway Improvements
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We have now completed carriageway improvement works along the A533 Newcastle Road from Hood Lane to Chells Hill and Smithy Grove to Love Lane in Sandbach.
Centre road lines were renewed during the scheme, as well as carriageway patching. We also refreshed all road markings within the crossroads area, installed a red hazard strip, replaced road studs, and cleared vegetation on New Inn Lane and the A533, to enhance road visibility for motorists.
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Wheelock Bypass Highway Improvements
Highway improvement works on Wheelock Bypass from Sandbach roundabout to Haslington roundabout are now complete. The works took place under night time closures and ranged from:
- the upgrade of the vehicle restraint system barrier
- clearing of vegetation at the junction with Mill Lane
- replacement of the centre line of the road
- road stud replacement
- cutting back of some vegetation around signage, and
- undertaking a road safety inspection.
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Thanks for your patience whilst these works were completed.
Broken Cross Roundabout
Developers are undertaking an agreed scheme to remove the roundabout at Broken Cross and replace it with a signal-controlled junction, linked to the new housing developments in the area.
The current phase of works was completed on 23 November and there will be a temporary traffic management layout in place at this junction over the Christmas period, before works recommence at the junction early in January 2023. Details of these works including closures have been issued by the developer’s contractor.
North West Crewe Package (NWCP)
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In the coming weeks, kerb installation at Leighton Hall Roundabout and Milehouse Roundabout will begin in preparation for the first surfacing visit. Other works at the roundabouts will include the installation of new lamp posts and road signs, and the creation of new footways/cycleways. |
The East/West Link Road and North/South Spine Road will see the installation of drainage and commencement of road construction.
The latest traffic management information is as follows:
- Recent developments have seen 2-way traffic lights installed on the A530 Middlewich Road just south of Flowers Lane and on Smithy Lane
- A530 Middlewich Road remains closed between Pyms lane and Smithy Lane – diversion is via Flowers Lane
- 2-way traffic lights are on the A530 Middlewich Road just south of Smithy Lane
- There are narrow lanes between Smithy Lane and the Biowise facility in place for the new Milehouse Roundabout works
Access to the hospital is unaffected to all users other than those on the A530 approaching from the direction of Nantwich. The Hospital ‘H’ symbol should be followed along the official diversion route. This route automatically becomes the existing hospital route at University Way.
You can keep you up to date with the project by signing to the North West Crewe Package newsletter.
For information on the scheme, visit our North West Crewe Package webpage.
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