The Highway Operations Control Centre (HOCC) is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to co-ordinate work on the highway network. It is fully equipped to monitor the effects of winter weather on our roads.

The technology includes a network of roadside ice detectors at strategic locations, which provide information on actual road conditions and are used to help predict when ice and snow may occur. Radar and satellite images are used to track rain and cloud cover across the county, and we have close links with our specialised weather forecasters.

This means

• Precautionary salting routes that are near freezing can be identified and treated.
• Most effort can be directed to the worst affected areas.
• An efficient, cost effective and environmentally sensitive winter service is provided which minimises salt usage.

What we do

• Undertake precautionary salting on major roads when there is a risk of ice or snow.
• Monitor road conditions and direct resources to where problems are occurring.
• Clear the major routes of snow.
• Provide roadside salt bins and bags for self help.
• React to highway flooding, and fallen trees.
• Keep delays to a minimum.

What we are unable to do

• Undertake salting or other work on the motorway or trunk roads as these are the responsibility of the Highways Agency.
• Salt all roads as this would be an enormous and costly task.
• Always keep roads free of ice and snow.