More chaos to come as snow hits region's roads
MOTORISTS are being warned to prepare for more tricky driving conditions in the week ahead as a weekend of heavy snowfall brought chaos to the roads.
The Met Office urged people to be prepared for widespread icy conditions, as thawing snow which fell yesterday froze as temperatures plummeted.
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WHITE STUFF: Clockwise from left, brothers Joshua, aged six, and Matthew Ganner, aged four, from Trentham Lakes; Market Place, Leek, under a blanket of snow; a snow plough in Newcastle Road, Leek; and the view from Penkhull looking towards Fenton and Longton. Below, Newcastle Fire Station watch manager Jason Richards with his crew's 10-ft snowman. PIctures: Malcolm Hart and Wesley Webster
Over the weekend at least 15 vehicles were involved in accidents caused by the weather, and bus services were suspended as vehicles struggled to travel over snowbound roads.
Mike Maryon, cabinet member for highways and environment at Staffordshire County Council, admitted that the snowfall on Sunday had been greater than its forecasts had predicted.
Mr Maryon said: "We have been out gritting all weekend. We were not expecting so much snow and there is more forecasted later in the week.
"We are running on about a week's supply of grit.
"We are keeping our head above water, but we need to keep an eye on it."
A casualty of the snow was First Buses, which was forced to suspend all services yesterday for two hours as drivers struggled to get into work.
Commercial director Paul De Santis said services remained reduced on untreated estate roads. He said: "Services should have started at 7am but a lot of the drivers were not able to make it to the depot until around 8 or 9am.
"Buses were on the road at 9am. All services were operating on all routes, but they were not be able to reach some badly-hit estates."
A section of the A50 between Cresswell and Blythe Bridge was closed for three hours on Sunday morning after the heavy snow caused a three-vehicle smash at around 5.25am.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "Crews found two men who had been in collision with a minibus. It is reported that prior to the incident, the two men had got out of their vehicles to assist another motorist who had been having difficulties in the snow." The clearing of the carriageway was then hampered when a lorry became stuck in the snow.
Tean High Street became a car park for nine lorries and coaches for an hour at around 8am yesterday because the hilly road out of the village was covered with four inches of snow.
The M6 was also hit by congestion after an accident on the southbound carriageway between junction 13 and 14. That followed problems caused by a broken-down lorry on the southbound entry slip-road of Keele Services.
Priory Road and Talke Road in Newcastle, and Basford Lane at Cheddleton, were blocked or closed during the day.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council pledged to be prepared for any predicted snow with gritters salting A and B roads.
The Sentinel reported on Saturday how snow on Friday led to a string of minor accidents, including a 10-car pile-up which closed a section of the A500 near Audley.
The Met Office website said temperatures would fall to freezing last night, and that there was a moderate risk of heavy snow until Wednesday.
Councillor Brian Ward, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "There is no danger whatsoever of our grit stocks depleting so that we couldn't service A and B roads."
4 Comments
by greyone, Alaska
Monday, February 22 2010, 5:07PM
“Lets face it, the council have worked out that the casualty dept and the insurance companies can foot the bills. Even when the roads eventually thaw the roads resemble the Somme with craters (yes craters not potholes, it's gone beyond that) everywhere caused by neglect in preventative road resurfacing programmes. All the councils are good for is collecting the cash and topping up the pension fund.”
by unknown, audley
Monday, February 22 2010, 12:45PM
“maybe someone should give the council the web address for the met office so they can check the weather 5 days in advance.........!!!!”
by Steve, newcastle uunder lyme
Monday, February 22 2010, 12:10PM
“In answer to the ladies question as to why there were no gritters out...No one told the council it had snowed!!!! I am sure some local councillor will be in the paer in the next couple of days saying the gritters were out doing a good job...Well Mr Councillor, join the real world smell the flowers and take back the rubbish your sprout, the gritters were not out and the roads were not gritted.”
by Linda Ashford, Tean
Monday, February 22 2010, 10:27AM
“For how many more days/months/years will Staffordshire County Council 'hide' behind 'We have very low supplies of grit/salt' - the last bad snow was early January surely if they were organised they would have full stock again by now. The amount of accidents I have come across this year particularly beween Cresswell and the Hildertone crossroads - is not acceptable. I understand this stretch of road is a B road so why no gritting?????”