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Winter can bring tricky road conditions. With a small workforce and miles of rural roads to cover, we take a prioritised approach to treating our roads for ice and snow. Full details are available on our Winter Service Plan page but here are some of the most commonly received questions. |
How do you prioritise what’s treated?
Roads are categorised into Priority 1, 2 and 3. The hierarchy of Priority routes are agreed every year by Councillors and we do consult with Community Councils, emergency services, NHS Orkney, key Council services and other stakeholders to get their feedback, and amend our plan as needed.
Broadly, the hierarchy of roads are:
- Priority 1: Important major roads and routes leading to important industrial establishments, the Hospital, Police and Fire Stations, schools and transport terminals, as well as selected bus routes and important journey-to-work routes, and known trouble spots.
- Priority 2: Other major roads and known trouble spots not on Priority 1,town Centres, school bus routes (Priority 2S) on school days, and roads leading to Health Centres.
- Priority 3: (Snow Clearance only. Not normally treated unless snow is present for more than 48 hours).
- Minor side Roads.
- Residential Roads
