VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON – (11:15 a.m.) Freezing rain and sleet persist in parts of the Shenandoah Valley and the Alleghany counties. As of mid-day Thursday, December 15, most counties in the region are reporting icy patches especially in the central Shenandoah Valley and in higher elevations. The Virginia Department of Transportation advises motorists to avoid unnecessary travel.

Bridges and overpasses freeze first, sometimes creating an icy glaze even when roadway approaches are just wet. Those who must drive should use extreme caution and always wear a seatbelt.

The VDOT Staunton District continues to treat roadways throughout the 11-county region with salt and abrasives. VDOT has tree-removal contractors on standby to help keep roadways clear.

Strong winds are expected on Thursday afternoon and evening. Motorists should be alert for downed trees, branches or utility lines. Refreezing is a potential hazard Thursday night and Friday morning.

Here are the conditions in the VDOT Staunton District as of 11:15 a.m. Thursday:

Interstate 64 – Minor conditions in Alleghany and Augusta counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge County.

Interstate 66 – Clear conditions in Warren County.

Interstate 81 – Moderate conditions in Shenandoah County. Minor conditions in Augusta and Rockingham counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge and Frederick counties.

Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Shenandoah County. Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham and Page counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties.

Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties. Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge and Highland counties. Clear conditions in Frederick and Clarke counties.

Statewide road conditions and traffic cameras can be found at http://www.511Virginia.org, Roads with snow conditions will be marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

For a text listing of winter weather road conditions go to http://www.511Virginia.org and click “Text Views” on the orange bar across the top of the page. Then click on “Road Conditions Table” and use the pull-down box to select individual counties and cities.

On the go? Visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for android or iOS. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District Snow Page is on the VDOT website under Travel Center Snow Emergency Pages. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

Follow VDOT on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

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Road condition definitions:

Closed – Road is closed to all traffic.

Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.

Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway. 

Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush.  Driving with caution is recommended.

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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.