VDOT News - Richmond

SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. – Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Richmond District crews have completed pretreatment operations ahead of expected winter weather Sunday. 

Crews pretreated all interstates and major routes in the Richmond District. Routes were treated with saltwater brine to reduce the chance of ice bonding with pavement.

Beginning Sunday morning, crews will work in 12-hour rotating shifts, 24 hours a day, until roads are safe and passable. Interstate and primary routes (route numbers 1-599) will be addressed first, followed by secondary and neighborhood routes. Plows will be used on any snow that has reached 2 or more inches, and salt and sand will be applied to impacted routes as needed.

The Richmond District has 1,400 pieces of equipment, including trucks, plows, tractors and motor graders, ready to address road impacts during and after the storm. Tree crews will be on standby across the district should any fallen trees impact routes.

“All of our equipment is loaded and ready to go for Sunday’s winter weather,” said Gary Jennings, Acting Richmond District Maintenance Engineer. “Our crews will be patrolling district routes early Sunday morning as precipitation begins, and will be ready to plow or treat any ice or snow as appropriate. Please give our crews room to work and delay any non-essential travel on Sunday.”

Crews are still cleaning up debris from the winter storm that impacted the Commonwealth on Monday, January 3 on some secondary routes (route numbers 600+) in Goochland, Powhatan and western Hanover counties. Tree operations will be suspended at the onset of new winter weather, but will pick back up when the weather event is over.

Tips for drivers

• The storm is predicted to begin as snow Sunday morning in the Richmond District. Snow is anticipated to fall as quickly as one inch per hour, and ice accumulations are also possible as precipitation transitions into sleet and rain. Drivers are urged to delay any non-essential travel during and after the storm, until road conditions improve.
• Follow all safety guidance from local officials and resources, and prepare now before precipitation begins.
• If travel is essential, give crews plenty of room to work; do not pass a snow plow. If drivers stay off the roads during a storm, transportation and public safety officials are better able to clear roadways and respond to emergencies quicker.
• Driving is most dangerous when the temperature is at or under 32 degrees (freezing). If the temperature outside is at or below freezing and the road is wet, there will likely be ice, particularly on the bridges, ramps and overpasses, since they tend to freeze first.

Information resources

511 Virginia

Before traveling, you can get the latest traffic conditions by using 511 Virginia. Call 511 from any phone in Virginia, visit www.511virginia.org or download the free mobile app at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/511.asp#app.

Social media
Twitter: For area information, follow @VaDOTRVA and @511centralva

Facebook: Visit VDOT’s statewide page and follow the Richmond District group: https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaDOT

Customer service center
Report road hazards or ask road-related questions at VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by calling 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or using the online form available at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/.

Additional resources

For more winter driving information, please visit VDOT's winter weather page. 

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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.