VDOT: Weather Will Impact More Than Monday Morning Commute

By Mary Ann Barton (Patch Staff)

The weather headed our way starting Sunday night will likely impact not just the Monday morning commute, but also Monday evening and Tuesday morning, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Beginning with the Monday morning commute, VDOT is asking drivers to plan for the next 36 hours, as crews prepare for the next three rush hours to be impacted by a wintry mix and up to five inches of snow, according to a news release from VDOT.

“Drivers who go to work Monday will likely have a more difficult time getting home with a wintry mix and snow forecasted to continue throughout the day,” said Branco Vlacich, VDOT’s district maintenance engineer for northern Virginia. “We strongly encourage drivers to telework, and if they must drive to allow extra time for a safe and cautious commute.”

What drivers should know for Monday:

• Morning rush hour: Pavement and bridge temperatures remain below freezing. According to forecasts, up to two inches of snow may have fallen overnight.
• Afternoon rush hour: Conditions likely to deteriorate throughout the day with continued accumulation.
• Neighborhoods: Crews will treat problem spots today, tomorrow, and begin plowing when two inches have accumulated, likely during the day Monday.

Preparations

Today, crews are pre-treating major roads and trouble spots in:

• Arlington
• Fairfax
• Loudoun
• Prince William

Crews typically pre-treat 850 lane miles in Northern Virginia. Crews use liquid magnesium chloride on 350 lane miles of interstates 66, 95, 395, and 495—including bridges and ramps prone to freezing such as the Springfield interchange, I-66 at Route 29 and the Capital Beltway interchange at Route 1. Another 500 lane miles of problem spots on other major roads, such as the Fairfax County Parkway and routes 1, 7, 28, 29, 50 and 123, are pre-treated with salt brine. Crews are also pre-treating trouble spots in subdivisions.

By midnight tonight, more than 900 trucks will be staged throughout Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties to treat roads, bridges and problem areas. Additional trucks will also report Monday for neighborhoods.

Reminders and resources for drivers:

• Slow down and allow for extra time to reach your destination
• Be aware of potentially icy areas such as bridges, ramps, curves and overpasses
• Check www.511virginia.org for road conditions
• Get more details on snow removal in northern Virginia
• Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova