VDOT prepared for more winter weather

As another winter storm approaches Hampton Roads bringing snow and freezing temperatures, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Hampton Roads District is prepared to respond with materials, equipment and staffing in place and at the ready. Motorists should avoid travel during the storm beginning Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning until conditions improve.

Crews started pretreating the interstates and state-maintained primary roadways Monday, completing the process today ahead of the winter storm expected to impact Hampton Roads starting early this evening through Wednesday morning. Final storm preparations began this morning, and all areas of the VDOT Hampton Roads District will have transitioned to full 24-hour operations by 8 p.m. tonight. Route 13 and most heavily traveled secondary roads have been pre-treated by VDOT.

With the region forecasted to receive up to 1-3 inches of snow, with the heaviest snowfall anticipated for the southside Hampton Roads cities, this storm, combined with consistent freezing temperatures this week, will produce conditions that will require multi-day operations to make roadways passable, which means travelers will not immediately see bare pavement. Snow removal operations will take time, and safety for crews and the traveling public is our top priority. Having fewer cars on the road will help to keep everyone safe and allow crews to perform their jobs in a safer and more effective manner.

Once the storm begins, crews will be working around the clock in 12-hour shifts, treating and moving snow off of the interstate and state-maintained roadways as needed. During winter storm events, the safest place to be is inside and off the roadways. Drivers are reminded to avoid travel during and following the storm until conditions improve, for their safety and to allow crews to work effectively to make roads passable. A road in “passable” condition is defined as:

• An 8- to 10-foot-wide path that provides access for emergency vehicles
• Drivable with extreme caution, may be snow-packed, and not bare pavement or plowed curb-to-curb
• Crews may sand hills, curves, and intersections to help with traction

With temperatures not anticipated to rise above freezing until Thursday afternoon, icy conditions, most notably on overpasses, bridges and shaded areas prone to freezing first, may likely impact travel over the next several days, including into Wednesday morning rush hour. VDOT will continue to monitor road surfaces, and crews will treat and address the roads as necessary over the next several days. Motorists should monitor the local forecasts and changing road conditions and be prepared to avoid travel as needed until conditions improve.

For the areas impacted by snow, bare pavement during and immediately after the end of the storm should not be expected. Roads that carry the most traffic get top priority. VDOT works to make interstates and most state-maintained primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) passable first. Crews also focus on major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and higher) with vital emergency and public facilities or those with high traffic volumes. Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available. VDOT maintains all interstates, major state-maintained primary routes, and county roads in Hampton Roads. Individual municipalities maintain their own roadways, including their own primary and secondary routes.