Even though temperatures have been milder recently, our winter service remains fully active to make sure roads stay safe and communities stay connected.
Whether we’re responding to overnight frosts or preparing for any sudden changes in the forecast, our decisions are always guided by real‑time data and a commitment to public safety.
What do we do?
- Crews are on standby 24/7 during the winter season, which runs from 1 October to end of April.
- Most winter treatments focus on managing freezing road surfaces and hoar frosts. When these conditions are expected, gritters spread salt to prevent ice from forming on the road surface.
- When snow is forecast, and expected to settle, we fit ploughs to our gritters to clear any build up. Because ploughs take time to install and slow vehicle speeds, we only use them when they’re genuinely needed.
- All our decisions are based on data from six weather stations across East Sussex, which monitor road surface temperatures and conditions. We work closely with MetDesk to predict in advance when snow is forecast and allow us time to prepare.
Gritting routes
We don't have the resources to grit all roads in the county. Our set gritting routes give priority to the busiest roads.
We receive many requests to grit additional roads from residents throughout the county, but we have to prioritise the main routes between populated areas and those routes carrying the most traffic.
Please be assured that all of our gritting routes have been carefully selected to provide the best possible chance of keeping traffic moving across the county during the winter months.
2025/26 winter so far
- Tonnes of salt used: 3,210
- Number of gritting runs: 34
- Plough deployments: 1 precautionary
Storm Goretti passed through on the night of 8 January, keeping out of hours teams busy responding to the severe weather conditions:
- The Cuckmere River burst its banks in Hellingly
- Sluice Lane closed after beach debris washed onto the carriageway
- 11 flooding incidents
- 14 fallen trees
Storm Chandra bought more flooding and winds on 27 January, with a total of 79 emergencies responded to, including:
- 55 flooding incidents
- 4 fallen trees
Our priority is always public safety and keeping roads clear. Thank you to all teams for their incredible effort during these challenging conditions.
Looking Ahead
Winter isn’t over yet—our gritters remain on standby. You can:
- Check gritting routes and grit bin locations: Winter maintenance service | What we do - Winter service | live.eastsussexhighways.com
- Report issues quickly via our online form: Report a Problem – live.eastsussexhighways.com
Let's keep East Sussex moving, together. Thank you for your patience and support.
A blog by Dan, Principle Operations Manager