Meet '˜The Beast' - part of the county's new winter gritting fleet

Lincolnshire County Council will be unveiling it's latest generation of gritter lorries - nicknamed '˜The Beast' - at the Lincolnshire Show.
The county council's new generation gritter - 'The Beast'. EMN-160621-102346001The county council's new generation gritter - 'The Beast'. EMN-160621-102346001
The county council's new generation gritter - 'The Beast'. EMN-160621-102346001

Visitors to the Lincolnshire Show will see one of the new gritters – the biggest and most advanced in the country.

The vehicle is the first of four new gritters being supplied to the council for the upcoming winter season.

The gritters consist of a Scarab-Epoke spreader and plough fitted to a Mercedes chassis, and are designed to spread salt more accurately and uniformly, ensuring it is used more efficiently. The more modern and reliable vehicles will also be cheaper to lease and maintain, bringing a saving of £166,000 over the next 10 years.

Coun Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways, said: “Keeping the county’s roads safe during winter is a priority for the council, and we’ve always been at the forefront of developing new techniques and approaches to winter maintenance.

“Last year we invested in a new salt barn, this year we’re bringing in some new gritters. These vehicles feature the very latest technology, meaning they’ll do a better job and also save money. And that means we can continue to keep almost 2,000 miles of county roads safe, whatever the weather.”

The ‘Beast’ can be seen on both days of the Lincolnshire Show at the Intercounty stand (stand 4-18A).

You can find out more about the county council’s preparations for winter at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/winterweather .