BEAR Scotland’s winter service teams have been working around the clock to keep trunk roads in South East Scotland safe and clear this winter.

Recent months have seen sub-zero temperatures and significant levels of snow and ice affecting most parts of the country over a sustained period. The Met Office has confirmed that in 2021 we experienced the coldest January on record for ten years.

In the three months from December to February, BEAR Scotland carried out 3,070 treatments on trunk roads in South East Scotland, using 25,590 tonnes of salt and 825,000 litres of chemical de-icer (used on steel structures where salt would cause corrosion).

The coldest temperature of the winter was recorded on the A6091 at Newstead in the Scottish Borders, at -11.7 degrees Celsius.

Alasdair Allen, BEAR Scotland Severe Weather Manager for the South East Unit, said: “Our winter service teams worked around the clock this winter, with treatments required to roads on the network on most nights. I’m grateful for all their hard work.”

New vehicles

In February two new JCB Fastrac 4190 tractors were added to BEAR Scotland’s fleet for South East Scotland. They will be used to carry out snow ploughing and blowing on the trunk road network in winter and will also be used for roadside grass maintenance in the summer season.

BEAR’s winter fleet can be spotted through Transport Scotland’s online ‘trunk road gritter tracker’, , which provides live tracking of gritters on the trunk road network.

Local primary schools and competition winners helped name the new fleet of 32-tonne frontline gritters, which include the likes of BFG – Big Friendly Gritter, Walter the Salter and Snow Connery.