Drivers will see new-look vehicles treating the region's motorways and major A roads with salt this winter as the Highways Agency introduces the first of a new fleet costing more than £7 million in the North West.
The 45-strong fleet will be deployed across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and parts of Lancashire over the coming months.
Highways Agency winter maintenance manager Peter Hallsworth will unveil the first of the new vehicles at the Westhoughton depot on Monday 10 November.
They will use a system that sprays pre-wet, rather than the traditional dry, rock salt onto the 320 miles of motorways and trunk roads they will cover. This vehicle are more environmentally friendly because the salt is targeted more efficiently so less is used and they have more efficient engines. The pre-wet salt is more efficiently targeted where it is needed and will not be blown away by the wind.
Additionally, the £160,000-a-head machines can be fitted with bigger and better snow ploughs which can be aligned from inside the cab to cope with changing conditions.
They also pack a bigger punch than the old gritters - with six wheels and two axles receiving drive from the engines that can cope with more adverse conditions than their predecessors.
Peter Hallsworth said: "The new vehicles will be a big boost to our capacity to keep motorways and trunk roads open and safe to use. But we will continue to work closely with the Met Office to ensure we are on the ball with the latest weather forecasts as well as getting information from our electronic systems in and alongside the motorways which can tell us the temperature of the road surface.
"We combine the best of technology with the best of human know-how - the people who understand the region, its weather and its motorway and trunk road network."
However, there is plenty road users can do to help themselves to cope with winter weather:
* Ensure their vehicles are well maintained and in good condition
* Check the weather forecast before setting out and during journeys
* Check the travel news including using the Highways Agency website, information line and digital traffic radio services
* Keep an 'emergency kit' with warm clothes, boots, food and water in vehicles
* Carry a de-icer and a scraper
* If the weather is severe do not go out unless your journey is essential
