VDOT News - Richmond

SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. – On the heels of last Sunday’s winter storm, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Richmond District crews are again preparing for possible winter weather this weekend.

Crews are spending Friday pretreating interstate, primary (numbered 1-599) and major secondary (numbered 600+) routes with a saltwater brine to prevent ice from bonding with the pavement during weekend weather. Brining operations are expected to wrap up Saturday afternoon for all of the district’s 14 counties.

Looking ahead to Saturday night and Sunday morning, plowing operations will start once snow accumulations reach 2 inches. Crews will continue working in 12-hour shifts until roads are safe and passable.

“Higher temperatures may be in our favor for this weather event,” said Richmond District Maintenance Engineer Sean Nelson, P.E. “Although no two storms are alike, we are hopeful that we can move accumulated snow as quickly as we did last week and that rain combined with higher temperatures will give us an advantage after the snow ends.”

Tips for drivers

• Avoid passing brining trucks or following them too closely. Please give VDOT crews room to work.
• Keep an eye on local forecasts this weekend. Check 511 and other local resources for the latest conditions near you.
• Call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or visit https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/ any time, 24/7, to report road hazards.

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VDOT’s Richmond District oversees snow removal activities on approximately 19,000 lane miles of roads in 14 counties in central Virginia: Amelia, Brunswick, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico (primary routes only), Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, New Kent, Nottoway, Powhatan and Prince George counties. Henrico County provides snow removal for their secondary roads (numbered 600 and above) and subdivision streets. Cities that provide their own snow removal include Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond, and the towns of Ashland, Blackstone, Chase City and South Hill.

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.