The Government Delegation in Asturias has renewed the Protocol for the coordination of actions of the organs of the General Administration of the State in the face of snowfall and other extreme weather situations that may affect the State Road Network in Asturias.
As in previous years, the document is signed by the delegate of the Government, the head of the State Road Demarcation in Asturias, the Provincial Traffic Head and the director of the Traffic Management Center of Northwest Cantabria.
The objective of the protocol is to guarantee the safety and movement of vehicles and goods by road in adverse weather situations in the 837 kilometers of the State Road Network that pass through the territory of Asturias, between highways, highways and conventional roads.
The media
The protocol compiles the material resources available to the State for the winter campaign. The map of Asturias is divided into six geographical sectors that cover the entire State Road Network and the AP-66 managed by Aucalsa. In total, there are 53 snow removal machines - one more than last year - tanks to store 498,000 liters of brine and silos with 9,915 tons of fluxes.
This list of material resources includes the device used by Aucalsa: seven trucks with a knife and flux spreader, a dynamic snowplow and a flux loading shovel on the Asturias slope; seven trucks with a knife and flux spreader and two flux loading shovels on the Leonese side. In addition, it has several silos in which 5,635 tons of fluxes are stored and its two brine plants add 300,000 liters of capacity.
Protocol organs
The protocol establishes the organization of the management and coordination of the protocol:
- Direction. The management and coordination of the actions provided for in the Protocol will be carried out by the Government delegate in Asturias, with the support and assistance of an Executive Committee.
- Executive Committee. Chaired by the Government delegate. The other members are: the Chief Colonel of the Area/Command of the Civil Guard of Asturias, the Chief Officer of the National Police Corps of Asturias, the Provincial Chief of Traffic of Asturias, the Chief Commander of the Traffic Sector/Subsector in Asturias, the Chief of the State Road Demarcation in Asturias, the Chief of Service of Conservation and Exploitation of Roads of the Ministry of Transport, the Chief of the Civil Protection Unit of the Delegation of the Government of Asturias, the Director General of the Government of Asturias. When necessary, a representative of the Territorial Delegation of AEMET, a representative of the Military Emergency Unit and a representative of Aucalsa can be incorporated. The declaration of the operational phases of the Protocol shall be the responsibility of the Government delegate. Each member of the Executive Committee shall perform the functions corresponding to his or her competences.
- Coordinating Centre. The delegate of the Government in Asturias will agree to the constitution, in the offices of the Delegation, of a Coordinating Center that will have the purpose of having her promptly informed of the situation, proposing the corrective measures that are necessary, transmitting the orders agreed by the delegate and monitoring compliance with them. It will comprise the staff of the Civil Protection Unit; Road Demarcation; Provincial Traffic Headquarters; Traffic Sector/Subsector and Civil Guard Area/Command; and Senior Police Headquarters. If the participation of the Armed Forces is considered necessary, an officer will be part of them.
Operating procedures
The protocol establishes the operating procedures according to the phases of evolution of the situation, according to the following criteria:
- Alert phase. It begins when the Territorial Delegation of the AEMET issues a bulletin of warning for snowfall or other adverse weather phenomena of red, orange or yellow levels. It involves the deployment and mobilization of snow removal and salt spreading machines. The Government delegate is the Coordinating Centre. This phase will be terminated when the circumstances that gave rise to it cease or when the situation makes it necessary to move to the Pre-Emergency phase.
- Pre-Emergency Phase. It is activated when the intensity of the snowfall makes it possible to foresee difficulties for the circulation or when the falling snow, ice or other circumstance, hinders the transit of vehicles. At this stage, in addition to the Alert Phase, traffic restrictions are carried out in coordination with the General Directorate of Traffic and the Civil Traffic Guard and according to the parameters of the color levels established by the DGT in case of snow on the road.
- Emergency Phase. In force when it is necessary to pay attention to people who have been blocked or detained and cannot continue their trip by their own means. In addition to the actions described for the previous phases, the means of the General Administration of the State that can contribute or provide adequate care to the occupants of vehicles that have been blocked on the road are made available to the competent civil protection body of the Autonomous Community.