The two pun-tastic gritters on Bristol’s roads

First Scotland did it, now it’s Bristol’s turn! Yesterday we named two of our gritters in honour of the crews who keep residents and visitors safe from the dangers of ice throughout the winter.

Bristol Waste Managing Director Richard Williams cut the red ribbon on Gurt Slush and SS Grit Britain, at the latter’s namesake, along with BBC Radio Bristol and the SS Great Britain’s very own Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel even gave the gritters his stamp of approval!

It all started with a feature from BBC Radio Bristol on listeners’ suggestions for naming Bristol Waste’s gritters. Some of the best suggestions included Cribbs Thaws-way, Massive Gritt-ack and Wall-ice and Gromit, but Gurt Slush, SS Grit Britain and Clears Drive triumphed!

Our crews spread grit on hundreds of miles of road around Bristol during winter. They use about 1,600 tonnes of salt every year – that’s the same weight as half of the SS Great Britain.

Look out for the gritters in your area during cold snaps, helping keep local roads safe, and listen to the ribbon cutting on BBC Radio Bristol.