De-icing

In winter, roads can sometimes be slippery due to freezing, black ice, or snow. We want to keep our roads and cycle paths as safe as possible during this period too. To this end, we work together with Rijkswaterstaat, which gritting the roads for us. HHNK also commissions Rijkswaterstaat to combat slippery conditions on certain roads managed by municipalities. Conversely, there are also a number of HHNK roads where municipalities carry out anti-skid measures.

When you click on the image on the right, you will see which roads are gritted on behalf of the water board. You can search by municipality and even by road name.

Recreational bike paths and dead-end roads are not gritted. 

Three working districts

Because we manage a large area, we have three working districts for combating slippery conditions, each with its own support center: one in Hoorn, one in Oostzaan, and one in Beemster. This allows us to grit all roads within 2.5 hours. In collaboration with the field coordinators and Meteogroep, the HHNK's chief coordinator monitors the need for gritting around the clock. The work is carried out by Rijkswaterstaat.

Differences in approach

The various road authorities are responsible for combating slippery conditions on the roads under their management. Each organization has a different approach. HHNK, the national government, and the province, for example, use wet salt spreaders to spread salt on the roads preventively. Some municipalities spread salt preventively, while others only do so when the roads become slippery. The decision to spread salt or not can also vary from one authority to another. We may decide to spread salt on certain parts of our area and not on others. As a road user, you should therefore always be careful: even though there is a gritting service, the road may still be slippery.

If you have any questions about ice control, please contact us at 072 582 8282 or use thisinquiry form.