VDOT Preparing for Winter Storm

With a significant winter weather event anticipated to impact Virginia overnight on Saturday, Jan. 30, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is preparing to respond. VDOT crews will be working in 12-hour shifts around the clock to plow and treat roads.

VDOT is strongly urging drivers to monitor weather forecasts and adjust travel around the storm as difficult driving conditions are expected. Travel is anticipated to be hazardous during this weather event and should be avoided.

VDOT is pretreating the interstates and major roads in some areas with a salt and water solution called brine, which will help equipment operators to remove snow more easily. Below freezing temperatures in some counties have prevented VDOT from pretreating all major routes ahead of this particular storm.

The interstate and primary roads (those numbered 1-599) are VDOT’s top priority for snow removal during a weather event. As long as the snow continues to fall, snowplow operators will continue making multiple passes over these main routes and not working on low-volume secondary routes (those numbered 600 and above) or neighborhood streets.

Secondary roads and neighborhood streets are expected to be covered with several inches of snow by Monday.

Citizens can get real-time Virginia road conditions roads by using VDOT’s 511 free mobile app or the www.511Virginia.org website and phone system or report road hazards at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or my.vdot.virginia.gov.

The Salem District includes the counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, and Roanoke.