News Flash

With a significant winter weather event anticipated to impact portions of western Virginia on Sunday, December 9, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is urging motorists to monitor forecasts and consider adjusting plans to avoid traveling until road conditions can improve. Snow could fall heavily at times and create hazardous driving conditions.

Ahead of the storm, VDOT’s Salem District began applying brine as a pretreatment to main roads on Thursday and will continue on Friday and into Saturday. VDOT snowplow operators and contractors will be monitoring road conditions and working in 12-hour shifts around the clock to plow roads.

Drivers should be aware of the following:

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

•With the possibility of prolonged periods of heavy or rapid snowfall, road conditions could change quickly. Plowed roads will become covered again with fresh layers of snow, and neighborhood streets will not be plowed until the snow stops and progress is made on the main routes.

•Drivers are reminded to park in driveways where possible and not on the street.

•VDOT does not plow snow on private roads or driveways. Residents are encouraged to shovel driveways to the right when facing the roadway to reduce how much snow a plow pushes back into a driveway as it passes.

Real-time information on road conditions, traffic incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available using VDOT’s 511 free mobile app or the www.511Virginia.org website and phone system. For more information on winter travel, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/VDOT/Travel/asset_upload_file930_136487.pdf

To report debris, downed trees or other hazards on the roadway, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-367-ROAD (7623). Use 911 only for emergencies.