Blackburn drivers face winter gritting limits on local roads: what residents need to know

Public Services Desk 2026-10-30 10:57 2 min read

A heavy-duty truck driving through thick fog on a wet UK road.

Blackburn with Darwen’s winter maintenance season began on 26 October 2026. The council treats around 160 miles of the borough’s 340-mile road network, prioritising main roads, bus routes, emergency-service access roads and steep hills. The M65 is maintained separately by National Highways.

Residents can check the council’s website for gritting routes, grit bin locations and winter weather advice. The council says it cannot grit every road, so local streets outside priority routes may not receive treatment.

Priority routes guide where gritters go

Highways teams have monitored conditions at 14 weather stations across Lancashire since 1 October, ahead of the official season start. They are on call around the clock and can be sent out when conditions require treatment.

Blackburn drivers face winter gritting limits on local roads: what residents need to know

Last winter, crews completed 367 gritting runs and spread more than 1,000 tonnes of grit. The council says its plans focus on keeping key routes safe and maintaining access during snow and ice.

Grit bins, salt and volunteers support the response

The service has four operational gritters and a reserve vehicle, with 3,500 tonnes of salt in stock. Almost 450 grit bins are located across the borough for residents to use responsibly.

More than 50 local volunteers supported last winter’s response through the Grit Squad, treating neighbourhood areas during severe weather. Residents can help by allowing gritters to pass when safe and preparing for winter conditions in advance.

For questions or concerns about the service, contact the highways team at WinterMaintenance@blackburn.gov.uk.

Source: Blackburn with Darwen Council News

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This service guide is based on Blackburn with Darwen Council’s winter maintenance notice, with dates, coverage and resource figures checked against the supplied source.

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