Salem District: Avoid travel on Tuesday as winter weather is forecasted for all day and into Wednesday

SALEM – With another round of winter weather expected, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is warning motorists not to drive in western Virginia on Tuesday, February 11 into Wednesday, February 12. Drivers should advance travel plans before the storm starts or postpone travel until road conditions improve.

The forecast from the National Weather Service is calling for a mixture of snow and freezing rain for the western portion of Virginia. Snow is expected to start in the early morning hours on Tuesday and transition to freezing rain with precipitation continuing through the day. Travel will be impacted on Tuesday and into Wednesday. Roads will be snow-covered and icy.

Today, VDOT crews and contractors began applying pretreatment to interstates and main roads ahead of the storm. Drivers should allow brine trucks plenty of space if they encounter them.

As with any winter weather event, VDOT crews and contractors will be working around the clock beginning with interstates and primary highways (those numbered 1-599). Plow drivers will begin pushing snow off the roadways once it accumulates to around two inches, and for freezing rain, they will be applying chemicals and abrasives.

VDOT reminds drivers that the first priority in any winter weather event are the interstates and primary roads and high-volume secondary routes. Equipment operators will be making multiple passes over these major routes and will not work on low-volume secondary roads (those numbered 600 and above), neighborhood streets and unpaved roads until the precipitation stops and progress is made on the main routes.

Travelers can get real-time information on road conditions, traffic incidents and congestion on Virginia roads by using VDOT’s 511 free mobile app or phone system or on the 511 website at www.511.VDOT.Virginia.gov.