ESSEX County Council is urging residents to travel with extra caution as icy conditions are expected over the weekend.

The Essex Highways fleet of winter gritters will be out across the county from tonight (Dec 7), as temperatures are expected to fall below zero. Roads could be particularly hazardous due to the heavy rainfall over the past few days, which has led to flooding and surface water in some parts.

County councillor Derrick Louis, cabinet member for highways and transportation said: “With icy conditions set to continue over the weekend and into next week we are keeping a close on weather forecasts. Our fleet of gritting vehicles will be on standby to treat the main road network as and when they are required. I urge motorists to drive with extra caution at this time, checking weather forecasts and the condition of their cars before they leave.”

Residents can get the latest gritting decisions by visiting essex.gov.uk/winter or by following Essex Travel on Twitter: @Essex_Travel.

The County Council is required to focus its gritting resources on keeping major roads clear, so it operates a specified salting network. This includes all ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, access routes for emergency services, rural link roads and major public transport routes.

In the event of severe weather residents are advised to take extra care if driving, and only travel if it is necessary.

If residents do need to travel then they should check the condition of their car tyres and battery before they leave, and pack an emergency kit in case they get stuck for a while (containing items like warm clothing, bottled water, mobile phone and a torch).

Residents are also advised that they can take action to clear their own local pavements and pathways of snow and ice, as long as they take a careful and common sense approach.