Winter road and pavement maintenance

The Council operates a priority system for the treatment of roads, pavements and cycle paths within the city boundary. Certain major roads, known as trunk roads (for example the A720 City of Edinburgh Bypass, the M8 and M9), are the responsibility of Transport Scotland.

Outside normal working hours, 7.30am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday, only Priority 1 routes will be treated during freezing conditions.

During snow conditions, all available resources will be deployed on all categories of route in priority order for as long as snow conditions and its remaining effects prevail.

Road gritting routes

Road Priority 1 - these routes will be treated first and include important principal roads, all bus routes and roads to fire stations, police stations, ambulance depots, hospitals, clinics, care homes and schools.

Bus Park & Ride Sites at Ingliston, Hermiston and Straiton will also be treated as Road Priority 1 and during periods of extreme wintry weather, treatment will extend to their parking spaces.

Road Priority 2 - Priority 2 routes cover the remaining Council maintained roads including residential streets and culs-de-sac.   

Priority treatment of pavements

Pavement Priority 1 - these routes cover busy pavements, pedestrian routes to hospitals, clinics, care homes and schools, as well as prioritised higher altitude areas and will be treated first whenever conditions dictate.

A distinction in the pre-treatment arrangements for Pavement Priority 1 routes exists and operates as follows:-

• Pavement Priority 1A - these routes will be pre-treated, wherever possible, in forecast conditions of frost, ice or snow.  These routes typically cover the busiest City Centre pavements and higher altitude areas to the South and South West of the City.
• Pavement Priority 1B - these routes will be pre-treated, wherever possible, in forecast conditions of ice or snow.
  

Other Pavements  -  All other parts of the Council's pavement network are considered by the Neighbourhood teams and prioritised with all other competing winter treatment demands.

Cycleway Gritting(off-road)

Cycleway Priority 1 - these routes will be the first to receive treatment, whenever weather conditions dictate, and will be pre-salted, where possible, when frost, snow or ice is forecast.    Areas treated include:-

• Middle Meadow Walk.
• Leamington Walk in Bruntsfield Links.
• Innocent Railway Path (between St Leonard's Lane and The Jewel at Asda).
• Sections of the Caledonian Cycle Track (North Edinburgh Cycle Network).

All other parts of the Council's off-road cycleway network are considered by the Neighbourhood teams and prioritised with all other competing winter treatment demands.

Priority gritting routes can be viewed on our interactive map.