As winter storm moves through Virginia, motorists must stay off roads

RICHMOND — As a winter storm continues to move through the commonwealth, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) needs motorists to stay off the roads throughout Monday so snowplows can safely navigate and push snow. 

The overnight snowfall, along with a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet in some areas, has created hazardous driving conditions across much of the western and northern regions of Virginia. Most of the state-maintained roadways in those regions are in moderate condition, meaning there is snow or ice on major portions of the roadway. 

Crews are working around the clock to remove snow and treat state-maintained roads until they are passable. Snow removal operations take time, so travelers should not expect to see bare roads during — and for a period after — the storm. Due to the rate of snowfall, snowplows will have to make multiple passes to remove snow. 

VDOT is responsible for the snow removal of nearly 60,000 miles of state-maintained roads. All cities and some towns maintain their roads, and VDOT may support them, if requested. Once priority roads are passable, crews will move to lower-volume secondary roads and neighborhoods as equipment is available. 

Snow removal priorities are as follows: 

• The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority. 
• Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow. 
• Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available.  

Information on road conditions  

If travel is absolutely essential, drivers should use extreme caution. Check roadway conditions by using VDOT’s free 511 mobile app, which offers information about road conditions, traffic, incidents, construction and congestion as well as access to traffic cameras, weather and more. Information is also available at 511.vdot.virginia.gov or by calling 511 while in Virginia. 

Road condition definitions: 

• Closed: Road is closed to all traffic.
• Severe: Drifting or partially blocked road.
• Moderate: Snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.
• Minor: Bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush. Driving with caution is recommended. 
   

For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623). For more about winter weather travel, visit .