Smoothing
What is it?
When ice is detected or threatened, the municipality grits. Salt in dissolved form is used as a gritting agent, known as wet gritting. This can be spread preventively. This can be seen when the gritter goes around in the evening when it is not yet slippery, but smoothness is expected in the morning hours. In the Achterhoek, all municipalities grit at the same time. The municipality of Oost Gelre is sometimes an exception, so this can lead to different road surface conditions on the municipal boundaries between Aalten and Lichtenvoorde.
Check out the map for a list of gritting routes.
How does it work?
The gritting route is fixed and the same every time. First, the main roads are covered. These are in particular the heavily traveled thoroughfares, dangerously sloping roads and bus and school routes. Spreading a route takes about 3 - 3.5 hours. Both from a financial point of view and with regard to environmental damage, not all roads are gritted. The routes are designed so that everyone can get to a gritted route fairly quickly. Only in the event of prolonged slipperiness or severe black ice is the route extended to include the remaining streets.
What to do.
Each of you can also do your part in smoothness control by clearing the sidewalk near your home of snow when it falls. It is often only a small effort and many grateful pedestrians will use your cleaned sidewalk.