FIFE’s ready for any severe weather that hits this winter, transportation head Bob McLellan said this week.

He said the local authority will have staff working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over the winter months and they are dedicated to keeping Fife moving, whatever the weather with some roads in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area priorities.

The council has 35,000 tonnes of salt stocked in preparation for treating of roads and pathways.

Bob McLellan, Head of Transportation and Environmental Services said, “Fife Council is committed to keep Fife moving during the winter. To make sure we’re not caught short, we start getting ready for the winter during the summer.

“35,000 tonnes of salt should safely see us through the winter, even a severe one!

“When bad weather strikes we need to react fast, so keeping our winter fleet in tip top condition is a priority for us too.

“Taking these steps now, assures a safer winter on Fife’s roads.” To help the council decide which roads need winter gritting and snow-clearing services first, they’re organised into four priority levels: Snow Routes, Primary Routes, Secondary Routes and Other routes. Grit bins will be refilled at the start of winter and are then refilled periodically throughout the season. And they welcome the self-help of Fife residents when snow and ice strike.

Bob McLellan added, “During the recent bad winters, people across Fife did a tremendous job helping to keep their pavements cleared and gritted. I’m sure if bad weather strikes this year, people will continue to help in their local communities.” Here’s some tips for clearing snow from pathways: Start early - it’s much easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it; don’t use hot water - this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury; be a good neighbour - some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property; if shovelling snow, think where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels; make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on; spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming - table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by it; pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients; use the sun to your advantage - removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however,you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight; if there’s no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives. If your grit bin needs refilled, please phone 03451 55 00 11 to request it. They aim to refill grit bins within five working days of receiving a request.

There are 23 primary gritting routes in Fife which cover 59% of the Kingdom’s road network, equivalent to 951 miles. These routes are classed as ‘primary’ because they lead to hospitals, ambulance and fire stations or are key access roads for interchanges, bus and railway stations. During exceptionally severe weather the Council will treat designated Snow Routes as a first priority, namely designated strategic and traffic sensitive routes, Principal Roads (A class), roads leading to hospitals, ambulance stations, fire stations, Mossmorran to Braefoot Bay Access on A921, slip roads approaches on A92, classified registered urban bus routes, access to bus and railway stations. Snow routes cover 34% of the roads network, or 550 miles.