GRITTERS are treating melting roads across East Lancashire.

The heatwave has led to road surfaces softening in some places, which can then stick to tyres, and make the surface slippery.

Gritters have been putting down granite dust on sticky spots to provide a protective layer.

In some places signs with advisory speed limits will be put up to encourage vehicles to slow down for safety.

Yesterday the Lancashire Telegraph reported on Preston New Road and Livesey Branch Road in Blackburn also melting in places.

Hotspots on Lancashire County Council controlled roads included Hollow Head Lane, Wilpshire, Todmorden Road, Bacup, Longridge Road, Hurst Green, Whalley Road, Read and Simonstone, Pasture Lane, Barrowford, Bacup Road, Cliviger, and Accrington Road, Whalley.

County Councillor Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We’ve been using around six of our gritting fleet to apply granite dust where this is happening. This creates a barrier to stop it sticking to people’s tyres, and improve skid resistance.

“Now this problem has started it will carry on until the weather cools off so we’re sending the gritters out every day at the moment to those places where we know this is a problem, as well as responding to any new locations picked up by our inspectors or reported by the public.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had to do this in Lancashire, but it doesn’t happen very often."