Friday 16th January 2026

By Bridlington Gold Radio Editor

It’s been a hectic start to the year for East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s winter services team, with crews working around the clock to keep our communities moving through the recent cold snap.

Since 1st January, teams have been out day and night tackling the worst of the winter weather, with Bridlington, Hornsea, Withernsea and surrounding villages receiving particular attention. In Bridlington alone, key routes such as Bessingby Hill, Hilderthorpe Road, the seafront, and the busy hospital and school corridors have been treated repeatedly to keep residents, commuters and visitors safe.

What the team has achieved so far:

• 19,000 miles of road treated — the equivalent of driving from Bridlington to London and back more than 40 times.

• Nearly 2,000 tonnes of rock salt spread — enough to season around one billion bags of crisps.

• Over 1 million litres of brine used — enough to fill roughly 400 Olympic‑sized swimming pools.

• More than 1,850 hours worked by our dedicated gritter drivers.

In Bridlington, this work has included repeated treatments on the town’s main gateways, coastal routes prone to sea spray freezing, and the steep residential roads that can quickly become hazardous in icy conditions. Rural villages such as Bempton, Flamborough, Carnaby and Sewerby have also seen increased attention during the coldest spells.

A few frequently asked questions we have received:

How does grit work?

Grit lowers the freezing point of water but it’s not magic. Traffic helps it to work, even with pre-wet salting (adding brine to salt), tyres rolling over the surface make a big difference. In extremely cold conditions (below -8°C) or heavy snow, grit struggles to work as effectively.

Why isn’t every road gritted?

East Riding of Yorkshire Council focuses on priority routes: main roads, hospital access, and key connections.Some side streets, estate roads, and rural lanes are not part of the gritting network. There simply aren’t enough gritters or hours in the day to cover every road.

A huge thank you to the team and everyone involved.

Check out the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's interactive map for treated routes and salt bin locations: https://orlo.uk/jfKmv