Council deploys fleet of vehicles this week that we typically only see in winter

Drivers in the central Bedfordshire region may have been held on the journeys with a seasonally unusual landscape in the last few days …

This week, the Council confirmed that the Gritters fleet was deployed, which was locked in this time of the year, waiting for winter tasks to clean the heavy snow and ice paths.

However, the roads were sent in July as part of the efforts to protect from damage caused by the intense temperature of this week.

Bedfordshire saw that during the last four -day heat wave, temperatures peaked at 31C (87.8F).

This is a way of the highest use of the country – on Tuesday, while registered with the St James’s Park in London and 34.7c (94.4f), Essex and Kent were on the top of 33C – temperatures were high enough to create concern for local authority.

Central Bedfordshire Council, Facebook followers, under the conditions of depression to ensure that the surface of the road surfaces to remain safe for traffic, he said.

In a statement on Monday, social media followers said: ‘Some parts of Central Bedfordshire are experiencing very high road surface temperatures.

When this happens, the asphalt may begin to soften, which can lead to surface damage.

To prevent this, we send Gritters to spread a thin layer of crushed stone.

‘This helps to protect the road surface and provides extra grip for vehicles.

‘You may not expect to see the gritters in the summer, but it is an important part of looking at our ways in extreme weather conditions.’

Central Bedfordshire Council region includes a mixture of various towns and smaller villages.

Larger towns include Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Biggleswade, Ampthill, Sandy, Shefford and Stotfold.

Bedfordshire saw the peak of 31C (87.8f) temperatures in the last four -day heat wave. In the picture: Air view of the A505 near Leighton Buzzard town

Instead of cleaning snow and ice in winter, Gritters this week, to spread a thin layer of crushed stone on the surface of the roads, to provide grip for vehicle tires, the asphalt melting at incredibly high temperatures

The locals received comments about the article to respond to the surprising announcement.

Someone said: ‘As long as they do not last too fast while the grit spreads (naturally these chipped windows).’

Another published: ‘[I] Always look at Gritters in Spain and Portugal. I was surprised that we could hold any of the normally demanding Gritter in Dubai. ‘

One of his followers simply said: ‘Maybe the roads will melt into the pits!’

Road Surface Treatments Association says that when surface temperatures reach 50C, the roads are at the risk of melting.

This surface temperature levels are easily obtained during heat waves, long -term intense sunlight extending into the asphalt.

Even if the conditions fall to the 20s in the evening and the night, the road surface will take much longer for the temperatures to cool.

Estimators warned that at the beginning of this week, the road surfaces in England would be likely to exceed 50C.

Central Bedfordshire Councils, this week, waste collection teams will work in the previous times to avoid rising temperatures from the middle of the morning to late hours, he said.