RICHMOND, Va. -- One year ago this week, a winter storm stranded hundreds of drivers on Interstate 95 between Richmond and Northern Virginia.
The Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) later determined Virginia failed to apply past experience to help prevent the snowstorm gridlock.
The main finding was that better communication was needed within state agencies, between state agencies, and with the public.
In the year since the I-95 traffic nightmare, Virginia has made some improvements to prevent future failures.
Virginia State Police improved its drone technology to better monitor traffic flow if power outages knock out VDOT cameras.
VDOT adjusted its contractor requirements to make it more attractive for smaller companies to provide snow removal equipment and manpower during winter weather.
A VDOT spokesperson said there is also an added emphasis for all agencies to be on the same page before road conditions turn dire.
"When it's clear that winter weather is going to impact either the districts or the state, there are meetings that are in place to coordinate the response to determine the best course of action," VDOT spokesperson Kyle Gibson said. "Virginia State Police and VDEM are now in those meetings, in those planning sessions, both statewide into the district."
You can read the full OSIG report here.
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