WITH freezing temperatures set to hit Bolton this weekend, thousands of tonnes of grit have been prepared to keep the town’s roads clear during the winter months.

Bolton Council has approximately 6,000 tonnes of grit stored at its Mayor Street depot, which is enough to cover around 150 routes across the borough.

Town hall bosses have allocated a budget of £650,000 for gritting this winter, but say they will spend more if necessary.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr David Chadwick, said: “We are as prepared as we can be for the cold weather and our gritting crews will also work around the clock in bad weather to try and keep the main roads clear. When we grit the full route we cover just over half of our total road network and all the main roads and major bus routes are covered.

“We would ask motorists to be prepared and to check their vehicle to make sure it is ready and safe for winter driving.

“We would also encourage residents to be prepared.

“We do have grit bins around the borough which are filled up at regular intervals.

“However, this grit is for use on the footpath and residents should be prepared to get their own grit for their driveways.”

A full grit route covers 317 miles of roads and the council has a fleet of seven gritters, while highways staff are monitoring weather conditions all day and night.

Grit is available for purchase from the Heaton Fold garden centre, off Chorley New Road.

Residents are advised to check bolton.gov.uk/winter to sign up for gritting alerts.