VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Snow is falling steadily in the Fredericksburg area and western Northern Neck, and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are treating roads and beginning to plow snow as it starts to accumulate on road surfaces.

Motorists are advised to delay any unnecessary travel until after the storm has ended. Road conditions may change quickly as the storm continues. Heavy snowfall may severely limit visibility at times, making it hard to see the road ahead.

Interstate 95 is clear in the Fredericksburg area. Primary roads in the Fredericksburg area are in minor condition, with isolated patches of snow. Secondary roads have minor to moderate snow coverage, with greater snow coverage across the travel lanes.

Roads are clear in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, but conditions are anticipated to change this morning as the storm progresses.

VDOT crews will continue to work around the clock until all state-maintained roads are safe for travel, with up to 1,200 pieces of equipment available in Fredericksburg District.

I-95 and primary roads districtwide were pre-treated with a salt brine solution. Applying salt brine in advance can reduce the ability of ice to bond to the pavement.

VDOT crews focus their efforts first on clearing and treating roads that carry the most traffic. Leading priorities for snow removal include I-95, primary roads, and secondary roads that carry heavy traffic, or connect with critical public safety and emergency services. Once conditions improve on priority routes, crews focus next on subdivision streets and lower-volume secondary roads.

Additional Winter Storm Information

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

Snowplow status updates: Crews begin to plow state-maintained roads once 2 inches of snow has accumulated. Once plowing is underway in a geographic area, VDOT 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.

Street parking: Residents can help by parking vehicles in driveways or as far onto the road shoulder as they can. This provides the most space for snowplows to completely remove snow from the travel lanes on passes through a neighborhood.

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. Call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or contact us 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

The Merry Point Ferry and Sunnybank Ferry in the Northern Neck do not operate on Sunday. For real-time updates on ferry service this week, 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.