Dwynwen, Cybi and Seiriol – meet Anglesey’s new fleet of gritters

Gareth Williams, local democracy reporter

Some of Anglesey’s famous saints have inspired a new fleet of gritters as part of a £280,000 upgrade.

With the lorries deployed when road temperatures hit one degree celsius or below, according to Anglesey Council it takes approximately 30 tonnes of salt to treat the 420km of roads on the island’s gritting routes.

Most of the six vehicles, five of which are designated to specific parts of the island, have been named after local saints which have some significance to their designated areas.

• Dwynwen covers the south of Anglesey (Route 1)
• Cybi covers the west of Anglesey (Route 2)
• Eilian covers the north west of Anglesey (Route 3)
• Alaw covers the north east of Anglesey (Route 4)
• Seiriol covers the east of Anglesey (Route 5)

Mona, meanwhile, is not allocated to a specific route but is available should one of the other five vehicles suffer a breakdown.

‘Challenging’

Huw Percy, Head of Service Highways Waste and Property, said: “Ensuring the safety of road users during the winter months is a top priority.

“Our gritting fleet is vital in maintaining the winter resilience of our road network and keeping Anglesey road users as safe as possible during severe and challenging weather conditions.”

Three weather stations located in key areas on the island are closely monitored throughout the day to analyse weather conditions and forecasts.

This allows the County Council to provide its service contractor, Alun Griffiths, with real-time information to help ensure gritters are sent out at the right times.

Highways portfolio holder Cllr Bob Parry added: “The gritting team do a great job and I would like to thank them for working tirelessly throughout these challenging winter months.

“Keeping the roads clear and safe is vital to ensure that our residents, and especially key workers, have been able to use our main roads.

“I’m pleased to see the names given to these new gritters reflect our local culture and the Welsh language.

“I look forward to seeing them out and about when treating our roads and helping to keep drivers safe.”