VDOT: Continue To Avoid Travel While Crews Clean Up From Major Winter Storm

VDOT: CONTINUE TO AVOID TRAVEL WHILE CREWS CLEAN UP FROM MAJOR WINTER STORM
Travelers urged to avoid overnight travel due to heavy snow accumulations and potential for refreeze

RICHMOND, Va. – As the major weekend winter storm begins to wind down, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews remain focused on snow removal around the Commonwealth. This slow-moving winter storm dropped heavy snow at a rate of nearly two inches an hour in some areas across the southern and southwest parts of the state and frozen precipitation in areas east of Interstate 95.

VDOT crews continue work around the clock to plow roads in areas where accumulations have reached two inches or more, and treat roads with salt and sand to melt snow and ice.

“For your safety, we continue to urge motorists to avoid travel to provide crews and emergency service providers room to work,” said VDOT Commissioner Stephen Brich. “If we reduce travel and minimize the risk of crashes and disabled vehicles, we can help ensure that travel lanes stay open so that we can safely clear roads and reach those in need.”

Overnight travel will remain treacherous even on roads that have been treated, due to dropping pavement temperatures refreezing snow and ice on treated roadways.

VDOT is partnering with localities, emergency service providers and other state agencies to assist with emergency response and clearing roadway crashes and incidents, where needed.

What the public can do to monitor travel conditions and stay safe:

• Track VDOT snowplows online through http://vdotplows.org/. VDOT and contractor trucks are equipped with automatic vehicle location technology, and can be monitored to see general coverage areas. The website is activated at the local level, generally when snow accumulations reach approximately two inches or more.
• Report severe road conditions to and ask questions of VDOT’s Customer Service Center team around the clock at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/or by calling 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).
• Find more winter travel tipsat http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp