Winter road maintenance statistics

Our roads

• We are responsible for 4,200 miles (6,700km) of roads
• Our winter roads maintenance budget for 2013 to 2014 is £5.6 million

Salt

Annual road salt tonnage used over recent years was: 

• 2004 and 2005 - 57,233 tonnes 
• 2005 and 2006 - 57,612 tonnes
• 2006 and 2007 - 29,406 tonnes (low due to a mild winter)
• 2007 and 2008 - 57,253 tonnes 
• 2008 and 2009 - 79,575 tonnes
• 2009 and 2010 - 77,674 tonnes (longer cold spells than the previous year, salt was restricted by rationing due to a national shortage)
• 2010 and 2011 69,589 tonnes (salt restricted due to rationing and national shortage)
• 2011 and 2012 48,727 tonnes 

We buy 6mm pure rock salt from a quarry in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. This rock salt is not pre-wetted. It complies with the recommended British Standard for moisture content. The salt is shipped to 13 harbours throughout the area:

• Lochaline
• Corpach
• Kyle of Lochalsh
• Broadford
• Portree
• Dunvegan
• Ullapool
• Lochinver
• Kinlochbervie
• Scrabster
• Wick
• Invergordon
• Inverness

We distribute this salt through 41 depots. For some areas we share the salt dump with the trunk road operator (TRO). These depots are at Grantown, Nairn Park Quarry, Kingussie (TRO), Janetstown, Wick, Melness (Achuvoldrach) Tongue, Strathy, Longman, Cannich, Drumnadrochit, Gorthleck, Fort William Carr's Corner, Arisaig (TRO), Ballachulish (TRO), Invergarry, Strontian, Broadford, Sconser HC, Fairybridge Dunvegan, Conchra (TRO), Alness, Tain, Ardgay Ardchronie, Helmsdale, Durness, Dornoch, Kinlochbervie, Lochinver, Brora, Rogart, Lairg, Greenhill, Gairloch, Dundonnell, Lochcarron, Achiltibuie, Applecross, Ullapool, Torridon, Whinhill, Silverbridge.

Our fleet

We have 116 road gritters and 48 pavement gritters. The pavement gritters have mini-ploughs on the front of the vehicles and salt gritters on the rear of the vehicle.