RICHMOND, Va. β The Virginia Department of Transportation began 24-hour operations Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. in anticipation of winter weather expected to hit the Commonwealth this weekend.
As crews work to prepare roads and equipment for possible snow or ice, VDOT officials say there are steps residents can take beforehand to help both their crews and themselves.
VDOT is responsible for covering nearly 60,000 miles of state-maintained roads. In the case of snow or ice, crews will begin as usual clearing or treating primary roads. Once done, they will move to secondary roads.
In preparation for this, the VDOT website suggests residents park in driveways or on the same side of the street to give crews as much room as possible.
Officials also say if you see a truck pre-treating the roads over the next few days, it's important you do not follow the truck too closely and to slow down. The chemicals being laid are slippery for the first 30-45 seconds they are on the pavement.
VDOT recommends drivers double-check their car's tires, battery and windshield wiper fluid in case they have to be out on the road during or following winter weather.
If you have to be on the roadways, they remind drivers to leave early, have an emergency kit, go slow and try not to pass a snow plow unless absolutely necessary.
All this information as well as current road conditions can be found on VDOT's website as well as the 511 app.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
