VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews made significant progress plowing and treating roads this afternoon, with clear conditions currently on Interstate 95. Most primary and heavily-traveled secondary routes are in minor condition in the Fredericksburg area, western Northern Neck and western Middle Peninsula.

Overnight, VDOT crews will remain mobilized to monitor for icing, as any moisture on the road is expected to freeze. Trucks will circulate to check for slick and hazardous road conditions, and will spread sand and salt to reduce icing and improve motorist traction.

Even with treatment, icy patches may be present. Icing often occurs first on bridges, overpasses and ramps, on secondary routes carrying less traffic, and on hills and curves.

Motorists who do travel overnight and Monday morning should allow extra travel time and proceed with caution. Plan to reduce vehicle speed as appropriate for road conditions, and increase following distance between vehicles to add reaction time. Use vehicle headlights for a clear view of the road ahead and to make your vehicle more visible to other travelers.

This afternoon, VDOT crews were able to plow numerous subdivisions and along many lower-volume secondary roads. Secondary roads are in minor to moderate condition, with partial patches of snow and slush still present.

VDOT crews will continue to work around the clock until all state-maintained roads are safe for travel.

Additional Winter Storm Information

• Check road conditions before starting a trip: Call 511, visit www.511virginia.org or download the free 511Virginia mobile app to see real-time road conditions around the state, and view traffic cameras.
• Clean snow and ice from your vehicle before starting a trip. This will improve your visibility of the road ahead, and it will prevent snow and ice from becoming a flying debris hazard for other travelers.
• Give VDOT crews space to work. Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind trucks and other equipment that are plowing or treating the road. Do not pass a snowplow or spreader.
• Remember to move over and slow down for stopped vehicles with flashing, blinking or alternating blue, red or amber lights.
• Snowplow status updates: VDOT Fredericksburg District has activated its online snow plow tracker map at vdotplows.org. All VDOT-owned and contracted plows are equipped with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), allowing them to be monitored on the snowplow tracker.

Road Condition Definitions

During winter storms, road conditions are present on 511Virginia using three ratings: minor, moderate and severe. These terms are defined as the following:

Minor: Potential for patches of ice and snow on roadway; Passable with caution.

Moderate: Snow or ice is covering major portions of the roadway; Passable with caution.

Severe: A significant accumulation of snow or ice is blocking the roadway; Conditions are hazardous.

VDOT Customer Service Center

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.

Social Media

Follow VDOT on Twitter at @VaDOT and VDOT Fredericksburg District at @VaDOTFRED.

On Facebook, visit VDOT’s statewide page or join the VDOT Fredericksburg District group.

Merry Point and Sunnybank Ferries

The Sunnybank Ferry in the Northern Neck will resume service on its normal schedule Monday. The Merry Point Ferry does not operate on Monday. For real-time updates on ferry service this week, check 511Virginia.

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.