Gritting roads and pavements in freezing weather
Spreading salt, also known as grit, helps prevent ice and makes roads and pavements safer in freezing weather.
View gritting routes and salt box locations on a map.
Roads we grit
There are 550 miles of roads in Swindon. We grit around 210 miles of major routes used frequently by residents and businesses.
We grit these routes when the road surface is likely to freeze.
Our gritting routes cover:
- major A and B roads
- access roads to most villages
- main roads to hospitals
- bus routes with frequent services
We review the routes every year. Roads outside these routes are unlikely to be gritted in freezing weather.
National Highways manages the M4 and A419.
View the roads we grit on a map.
How we decide when to grit
We use information from remote weather stations to plan when to grit. We receive:
- a specialist five-day forecast
- two forecasts each day
Read more about road gritting and salt boxes.
Salt boxes
We provide salt boxes at more than 500 locations across the borough. They are also called grit bins, grit boxes, or salt bins.
You can use the salt to make public roads and pavements safer. Do not use it on private paths, driveways, or other private property.
Find your nearest salt box on a map.
Request a new salt box location
How to spread salt
You only need a thin layer of salt to treat an icy area.
Salt will not thaw snow straight away. To treat an area covered by snow:
- clear as much snow as you can
- spread a light dusting of salt
- walk over the area to work the salt into the remaining snow
Take care not to block drains. Do not push snow into piles where people may walk or drive.
Report an empty or damaged salt box
We normally check salt boxes during the summer. We refill or replace them before winter begins.
During winter, we rely on you to tell us about any problems.
Report an empty or damaged salt box
