VDOT News - Hampton Roads

SUFFOLK—Hampton Roads will see two major snow events over the next few days that will directly impact the traveling public. The first, starting as early as Thursday afternoon rush hour, will begin as rain and convert to snow as the storm continues through the night. The second event, beginning Friday morning and lasting into Saturday, will bring heavy snow accumulation  to the region. The snow, combined with falling pavement temperatures and ice, will result in dangerous driving conditions. 

Motorists must avoid travel during and immediately following the storm on Friday and Saturday. 

The safest place during a storm is inside. If travel is unavoidable and absolutely necessary, motorists must plan to complete travel before snowfall begins and remain off the roads until they are passable. This will keep drivers safe and allow Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews to do their jobs. 

VDOT crews completed pre-treatment activities on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Anti-icing trucks spread roughly 60,000 gallons across district interstates, as well as state-maintained primaries and high-volume secondary routes to help prevent icing.

Due to the nature of their structure, bridges and overpasses are known to freeze first and maintenance crews will monitor conditions to treat those and other identified areas as needed. Crews will work in shifts as part of 24-hour operations to plow and treat roads as necessary for the duration of the event. With the possibility of high winds, crews are also on standby to assist with downed trees, branches and debris that may fall across the roads.

Reminders:

• Stay home. Avoid all nonessential travel.
• Give crews time to treat roads.
• If snow or ice is on the road, conditions are hazardous.
• Call 911 if you have an emergency.
• Visit www.511Virginia.org for the latest road conditions. Do not travel until precipitation stops and road conditions improve. 
• For more information on winter weather travel, visit https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp.

Resources:

• Free 511 Virginia Tools -- Get the latest traffic conditions before traveling by calling 511, or go to www.511virginia.org. You also can download Virginia’s free 511 mobile app at https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/511.asp. 
  
  
• 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) -- Report road hazards or ask road-related questions at VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by calling this statewide toll-free number.
  
  
• Twitter -- Follow us @VaDOTHR and @511hamptonroads for the latest traffic updates during a storm.
  
  
• WAZE – VDOT recently partnered with Waze to add a new feature to the navigation software app that allows users to report, in real-time during winter weather, when a road has not been plowed. It will also inform travelers when they are approaching a road that has been identified by other drivers as unplowed.

 For more winter driving information, please visit https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp.

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.