VDOT News - Richmond

SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Richmond District continues to urge drivers to avoid nonessential travel Thursday night and Friday as another round of wintry weather moves through the region. Drivers commuting from work should greatly reduce their speed and allow extra time to get home.

Road conditions for most of the district are minor, meaning the roads are passable with caution, but there is a potential for icy patches or snow on the roadway. Crews are positioned throughout the 14-county district and are currently addressing slick spots with salt and sand to break up icy spots and provide added traction for tires. Crews are addressing interstate and primary routes first, as well as major roads to essential services. They will then move on to lower volume secondary and neighborhood routes.

“Make the safe decision to stay at home tonight if travel is nonessential,” said Richmond District Maintenance Engineer Sean Nelson, P.E. “Even if road conditions appear ordinary, there is still a risk of falling trees and power lines tonight and tomorrow as the next wave of precipitation comes in and ice weighs down branches. We will move into a long term recovery effort once precipitation ends and we can safely assess road impacts.”

While pavement is wet, overnight refreeze cannot be ruled out. Crews will be monitoring roads for black ice and treating as necessary, but those making essential trips should use extra caution.

Tips for drivers 

• Avoid travel during and after this event. There is no safe way to drive in icy conditions. Plan travel around winter weather – not during. Pay close attention to local forecasts and utilize VDOT’s 511 app and org to check on road conditions.
• If a traffic signal is inactive, treat it as a four-way stop. Crews are monitoring for non-functioning signals and repairing them as quickly as possible.
• Localized flooding may also impact routes, due to heavy precipitation in recent weeks. Please do not drive around or move road closure signs and barriers, and never drive through standing water. Unknown hazards such as active power lines could be beneath the water’s surface.
• Report road hazards to VDOT at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or visit my.vdot.virginia.gov.

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.

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VDOT’s Richmond District oversees road maintenance 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 road maintenance for their secondary roads (numbered 600 and above) and subdivision streets. Cities that provide their own road maintenance 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.