VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Snow continues to fall steadily in the Fredericksburg District tonight, and isolated patches of snow and slush are beginning to form on road surfaces.

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are mobilized in emergency response. Crews will work through the night to apply sand and salt to limit icing and improve traction. Once two inches of snow has accumulated on the road, crews will begin to plow travel lanes.

Snow, mixed at times with freezing rain, is forecast to continue overnight and into Friday morning. Road surfaces may be extremely slick, especially ahead of the Friday morning peak commute.

There is no safe way to travel during icy conditions. If there is ice or snow on the road, travel is hazardous; motorists should avoid travel during the storm.

What Motorists Should Know

Check road conditions before starting a trip: Call 511, visit www.511virginia.org or download the free mobile 511Virginia app to see real-time road conditions around the state, and view traffic cameras.

Give VDOT crews space to work. Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind trucks and other equipment that are plowing or treating the road. Do not pass a snowplow or spreader.

Snowplow status updates: When two inches of snow has accumulated, VDOT Fredericksburg District will activate its online snow plow tracker map at vdotplows.org. All VDOT-owned and contracted plows are equipped with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), allowing them to be monitored on the snowplow tracker.

Road Condition Definitions

During winter storms, road conditions are present on 511Virginia using three ratings: minor, moderate and severe. These terms are defined as the following:

Minor: Potential for patches of ice and snow on roadway; Passable with caution.

Moderate: Snow or ice is covering major portions of the roadway; Passable with caution.

Severe: A significant accumulation of snow or ice is blocking the roadway; Conditions are hazardous.

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) or online at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov.

Social Media

Follow VDOT on Twitter at @VaDOT and VDOT Fredericksburg District at @VaDOTFRED.

On Facebook, visit VDOT’s statewide page or join the VDOT Fredericksburg District group.

Merry Point and Sunnybank Ferries

Service on the Merry Point Ferry and Sunnybank Ferry will be suspended on Friday, Feb. 12, due to inclement weather. For service updates after Friday, check 511Virginia.

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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.