VDOT News - Culpeper

CULPEPER — Virginia Department of Transportation crews and contractors cleared most Central Virginia roads of snow after Sunday’s fast-moving storm, but overnight temperatures well below freezing mean any moisture on road surfaces has frozen into black ice.

VDOT watch crews have been on duty overnight. Plow trucks apply salt to roads to reduce icing and spread sand to provide additional traction. But even with treatment, roads may still be slick and hazardous and VDOT encourages people to postpone non-essential travel until temperatures rise above freezing later this morning.

Those who must travel early Monday morning should:

• Drive for the conditions by reducing speed and increasing following distance
• Be especially cautious when traveling on bridges, overpasses and ramps. Ice will form more quickly on these surfaces because air can circulate above and below the surface of the road, causing the temperature to drop more rapidly. Ice may also be more likely to form in shaded areas, on roads carrying lighter traffic volumes, and along hills and curves.
• Use VDOT’s free 511 toolsto find out about road conditions along the route.

VDOT encourages motorists to keep an eye on the forecast this week as there are several storm systems in the 7-day forecast that may bring additional chances of some type of precipitation.

VDOT’s Customer Service Center is open 24 hours a day to answer questions and take reports of roadway hazards. Call 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or contact us online at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov.

Additional information about winter-weather preparations and response can be found at www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp. Local updates are posted to Twitter.com/VaDOTCulp and the district’s snow emergency webpage.

The Culpeper District includes the counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock.

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