The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is preparing for heavy snow and ice to create hazardous road conditions this weekend in the Fredericksburg area, in the Northern Neck, and in the Middle Peninsula.
Snow is expected to begin falling during the afternoon of Saturday, January 24, and continue through early Monday, January 26. Snow may fall at rates of 1-2 inches an hour at times, with more than 8 inches of snow accumulation possible, according to the National Weather Service. A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet is forecast for Sunday, January 25, creating icy road surfaces and the potential for downed trees and utility lines that could potentially block roads and cause traffic signal outages.
Do not travel during this storm and immediately after the storm ends. Plan now to arrive at your destination before the storm begins Saturday or delay travel until after the storm ends and road conditions have improved.
VDOT is mobilizing staff and equipment at our maximum level across the 14-county Fredericksburg District for this storm. More than 1,200 pieces of equipment are ready to plow snow or apply treatment materials across over 12,000 state-maintained lane miles.
Storage facilities are stocked with sand, salt, and other treatment materials to apply to roads. VDOT crews will work 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, starting before the storm on Saturday, Jan. 24, and will continue until all state-maintained roads are safe for travel after the storm ends. Tree and debris removal contractors are on standby districtwide to help VDOT crews remove hazards from travel lanes.
Temperatures are forecast to remain below-freezing in the days after this storm ends. Removing snow and ice from the roads is anticipated to be a multi-day effort across the district and will continue into next week.
I-95 Pre-Treatment
Today, VDOT crews began pre-treating I-95 in the Fredericksburg area and primary and high-volume secondary roads across the district. Travelers should watch for slow-moving tanker trucks spraying brine solution. Trucks apply brine in a mobile operation and travel at speeds of around 35 mph. This ensures the brine is properly absorbed in the pavement.
Pre-treatment helps to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement during winter storms and assists our crews with snow removal. Brine application will continue on Friday, Jan. 23, and will be complete ahead of the storm’s arrival Saturday.
Priority Order for Snow Removal Operations
VDOT crews focus first on plowing and treating roads that carry the most traffic, such as I-95 and primary routes (routes numbered 1 to 599, and Route 610 in Stafford County). Other priorities are secondary roads that connect with critical emergency service facilities.
While the storm is underway, crews will make repeated passes on I-95, primary roads, and critical routes to keep them open and treated for emergency responders and other essential service providers.
On I-95 in the Fredericksburg area, VDOT will have more than 200 pieces of equipment dedicated to plowing and treating the interstate’s travel lanes, ramps, shoulders, bridges and overpasses. These trucks will repeatedly circulate over the nearly 50 miles of interstate that passes through Caroline, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties and the City of Fredericksburg. Additionally, heavy-duty towing crews will be located along I-95 in the region to clear incidents.
Once the storm has ended, and road conditions have improved on I-95 and primary routes, VDOT can begin to shift staff and equipment to working on roads carrying lighter traffic, such as secondary routes (routes numbered 600 and above) in residential areas and subdivision streets.
What’s I-95 traffic like RIGHT NOW? Get Real-time traffic information for cities along Interstate 95. Maps show updates on I-95 road construction, traffic accidents, travel delays and the latest traffic speeds. I-95 traffic cameras show congestion at a glance. Visit I-95 Traffic.
The I-95 Exit Guide is the Internet’s largest and most complete website dedicated to Interstate 95 travelers. Find detailed exit service listings… lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!
On the road? Why not take us with you. The I-95 Exit Guide is mobile-friendly and totally FREE. No App Required.
Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide, I-75 Exit Guide, I-80 Exit Guide and I-95 Exit Guide. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit along the way!
