VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has prepared staff, equipment and materials for this weekend’s emergency response to the forecasted winter storm in the Fredericksburg area, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.

Around 750 trucks are fueled, staged and ready to plow snow and apply treatment materials 24 hours a day beginning Saturday.

Motorists should plan now to adjust weekend travel in response to changing weather and road conditions. Drivers should closely monitor news and weather reports, and seek to arrive at their destination before the winter storm begins.

Delaying unnecessary travel is the safest choice for motorists. It also gives VDOT crews and equipment additional space to apply sand and salt to road surfaces and to plow accumulated snow from the travel lanes.

Before starting a trip, drivers should check 511Virginia to see road conditions along their route. This real-time traffic information service is available by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia, visiting www.511virginia.org, or downloading VDOT’s 511Virginia free mobile app.

Interstate 95, interstate ramps and overpasses, and many primary roads in the Fredericksburg District have been pre-treated ahead of the storm with a salt brine solution, which prevents ice and snow from bonding to the pavement. However, even with advance treatment, road surfaces may still be slippery once precipitation arrives.

What Residents Should Know

• Drivers should plan to arrive at their destination before the storm begins, and stay off the roads for the duration of the storm.
• VDOT crews will begin plowing once 2 inches of snow has accumulated on the road surface. Crews will apply sand to improve traction and salt to reduce icing.
• VDOT crews focus their efforts first on clearing roads that carry the most traffic. I-95, primary roads, and secondary roads that carry heavy traffic, or connect with critical public safety and emergency services, are leading priorities for snow removal.
• Once conditions improve on priority routes, crews focus next on subdivision streets and lower-volume secondary roads.
• Our goal is to have all roads passable 48 hours after the storm’s end.
• For drivers who must travel, remember to move over and slow down for stopped vehicles with flashing, blinking or alternating blue, red or amber lights.

Online Snowplow Tracker

VDOT’s online snowplow tracker at vdotplows.org will be activated once 2 inches of snow has accumulated in Fredericksburg District.

Residents can enter their address to see the status of snow plowing in their neighborhood.

VDOT Customer Service Center

VDOT’s Customer Service Center is open 24 hours a day to answer questions and take reports of roadway hazards at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

Additional VDOT Information Sources

• Find VDOT Fredericksburg District news releases online on VDOT’s website, www.VirginiaDOT.org, under “Newsroom.”
• Follow VDOT on Twitter @VaDOT and @VaDOTFRED
• Connect with us on Facebook on our VDOT page, and VDOT Fredericksburg District group page.

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.