VDOT making progress in the Shenandoah Valley – but plenty of icy roads remain

STAUNTON — (11:45 a.m.) Sunshine, salt and snowplows are expected to improve conditions Tuesday afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands. But snow and ice persist on many roadways throughout the region – especially secondary routes and neighborhood streets. Avoid non-essential travel.

On Sunday and Monday, the VDOT Staunton District focused its snow and ice removal on interstates and primary roads. VDOT crews and contractors are making progress on secondary roads and will continue working until all roadways are passable.

Bitterly cold temperatures are forecast for Tuesday night. Refreezing will occur on previously plowed and treated roadways, creating the potential for dangerous ice. Surfaces that appear wet should be considered icy.

Here are the road conditions as of 11:45 a.m. in the VDOT Staunton District:

• Interstate 64 – Minor conditions in Alleghany and Rockbridge counties.
• Interstate 66 – Minor conditions in Warren County.
• Interstate 81 – Minor conditions in Rockbridge, Shenandoah and Frederick counties.
• Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Highland County. Moderate to minor conditions in Shenandoah County. Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties.
• Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Rockbridge, Highland Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Minor conditions in Bath County.

VDOT is responsible for snow removal on all state-maintained roads as follows: 

• The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority.  
• Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary routes (numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.  
• Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available. 

For road information, check 511 at its updated URL and website: https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/. Apps for Virginia’s 511 system are also available for Android and iOS devices. 511 has traffic cameras, current crash locations, weather conditions and more. The public can sign-up for 511 alerts to be sent to their personal device. Roads with snow and ice conditions are marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

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.

Another information source is the VDOT website: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov, which includes a dedicated weather travel page.

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 X (Twitter) feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. The VDOT Staunton District has a group page on Facebook. Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. Links to all of VDOT’s statewide and district social-media channels are found here.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.