VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON – (11 a.m.) Multiple weather threats are creating hazardous driving conditions on Friday (December 23) in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands. Early morning rain and wintry precipitation gave way to powerful, gusty winds and a steep dive in temperatures. In addition, numerous secondary roads in the northern valley are blocked by high water. Motorists should avoid non-essential travel.

As of late-morning Friday, temperatures throughout the region are below freezing and continuing to rapidly drop. Strong winds and some sunshine have helped dry many roadways, but any wet surfaces will freeze and cause dangerously slick conditions.

Motorists who must travel should also be alert for downed trees, branches and utility lines blocking roadways. The Virginia Department of Transportation has tree cut-and-removal crews working throughout the 11-county Staunton District.

High water is blocking about 20 secondary roads in Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Never cross a flooded roadway or drive around road-closed signs.

Extreme cold temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend. Motorists should pack an emergency kit and blankets or extra layers of clothing, and have mobile devices fully charged in case of a vehicle breakdown or emergency. Additional tips are found on the VDOT website at https://www.virginiadot.org/travel/winter_weather_travel_kit.asp.

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

Interstates 64, 66 and 81 – Clear conditions in all counties.

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

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

Statewide road conditions and traffic cameras are at http://www.511Virginia.org. For a detailed list of winter weather road conditions click “Text Views” on the orange bar atop the page. Then click on “Road Conditions Table” and use the pull-down box to select individual counties and cities. Roads with snow conditions will be marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

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.

#

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.

(END)

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.