Shenandoah Valley roads have improved – but freezing rain poses new threats

STAUNTON — (11 a.m.) Interstate and primary road conditions in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands have improved significantly since Tuesday’s snowstorm. Secondary roads are a key focus on Wednesday for crews and contractors throughout the Virginia Department of Transportation Staunton District.

Freezing rain is expected in parts of the region Wednesday afternoon and evening. This could cause dangerous ice to form, especially on bridges and untreated surfaces. Hazards may also include fallen trees or limbs, and standing water due to rainfall and melting snow. VDOT advises motorists to postpone non-essential travel until conditions improve.

VDOT crews and contractors continue to plow and treat roadways throughout the 11-county Staunton District. Here are the conditions as of 11 a.m. Wednesday:

Interstate 64 – Minor conditions in Alleghany and Augusta counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge County.

Interstate 66 – Clear conditions in Warren County.

Interstate 81 – Minor conditions in Augusta County. Clear conditions in Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties.

Primary roads – Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Frederick and Clarke counties. Clear conditions in Shenandoah and Warren counties.

Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick and Clarke counties. Minor conditions in Highland and Warren counties.

Weather and road conditions vary significantly around the state. If travel is essential, check local weather sources and road conditions at 511Virginia for your entire route before leaving.

The updated URL and website for 511Virginia is https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/. Apps are also available for Android and iOS devices. 511 has traffic cameras, current crash locations, weather conditions and more. The public can sign-up for 511 alerts to be sent to their personal device. Roads with snow and ice conditions are marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

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.

VDOT is responsible for snow removal on all state-maintained roads 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 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. 

Another information source is the VDOT website: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov, which includes a dedicated weather travel page.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District X (Twitter) feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. The VDOT Staunton District has a group page on Facebook. Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. Links to all of VDOT’s statewide and district social-media channels are found here.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.