Winter storm is not finished yet – continue to stay off Shenandoah Valley roads

STAUNTON — Roadways throughout the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands are coated in snow and ice that make travel hazardous. Most counties in the region have received 4 to 8 inches of accumulation since Sunday evening. Additional snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected Monday afternoon, and refreezing will take place Monday night. Stay off the roads.

At the onset of the winter storm, the Virginia Department of Transportation began plowing and treating roadways in the 11-county Staunton District. VDOT crews and contractors will continue working around the clock until all roadways are passable. Non-essential traffic complicates those efforts and extends the amount of time required to plow all state-maintained roads.

Here are the road conditions as of 11 a.m. in the VDOT Staunton District:

• Interstate 64 – Moderate conditions in Alleghany and Rockbridge counties. Minor conditions in Augusta County.
• Interstate 66 – Moderate conditions in Warren County.
• Interstate 81 – Moderate conditions in Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties. Minor condition in Augusta County.
• Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Highland, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Clarke and Warren counties. Moderate to minor conditions in Frederick County. Minor conditions in Augusta County.
• Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties.

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. 

For road information, check 511 at its updated URL and website: https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/. Apps for Virginia’s 511 system 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.

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. See links to all of VDOT’s statewide and district social-media channels.

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