Advice to travelling public in the Highlands

Motorists are being urged to show the utmost care on Highland roads because of the persistent wintry conditions and the growing pressure on road salt supplies used to treat road surfaces.

The Council has used 60,000 tonnes of road salt since the bad weather set in on 20 December - at an estimated cost of £1.8 million - and, like many other councils in the United Kingdom, has struggled to source sufficient supplies to replenish stocks. The Council also has arrangements in place to share supplies with Scotland Transerv, who maintain the trunk roads, such as the A9. 

Emergency measures to conserve road salt have already been taken by the Council and these will remain in place for the foreseeable future. 

The Council is eager to advise motorists that they must not assume that because it is frosty or icy that the roads will have been treated with road salt. 

Neil Gillies, Director of Transport Environmental and Community Services, confirmed that the Council had no option but to ration supplies of road salt as the stock was steadily diminishing. 

He said:  “The persistent wintry conditions have placed a significant strain on our stock of road salt.   We have used an unprecedented quantity over the past seven weeks and, like many other councils in the UK, our supplies are getting very low. 

“We have to manage what we have left and it is important that motorists are aware of the pressures facing the Council. We urge motorists to be aware of the hidden dangers of black ice. Because a road is black, it does not mean it is free of ice. And drivers must not assume that roads have been treated with road salt.  I appeal to them to show the utmost care on the roads at this time.

We are doing everything we can to source additional supplies and to keep our roads as safe as possible.” 

Emergency measures taken by the Council are as follows: - 

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