VDOT PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER

Despite unusually warm days for early December, personnel and equipment in the Culpeper District of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) are prepared to mobilize and deal with the effects of inclement weather.
	Winter preparedness inspections were completed several weeks ago and approximately 900 pieces of snow removal equipment are combat-ready. Storage domes and tanks at strategic locations in the district are stocked with large amounts of salt, abrasives and chemicals, and work crews are prepared to respond whenever snow or ice are in the forecast.
	The statewide snow removal budget of $85 million includes $6.7 million earmarked for the nine-county Culpeper District. During the 2003-2004 winter season, snow removal operations expenses on the more than 11,000 lane miles in the District totaled $5.9 million.  
“We will manage our resources with utmost care by working smarter and more efficiently while adhering to our general snow removal standards,” emphasizes Morteza Salehi, district administrator. 
Interstates and major primary routes are plowed first, followed by other high traffic roads – usually within 12 to 18 hours following the end of a storm. Once these roads have been reasonably cleared, crews begin working on lower priority routes and subdivisions streets, striving to make at least one pass within 48 hours after the storm ends.
In its efforts to contain snow removal expenditures, district planning includes repeating the practices implemented last year such as a progressive mobilization of personnel based on local forecast and conditions.
Additional information on winter weather preparations and about road conditions during winter storms is available on VDOT’s web page at www.virginiaDOT.org or through the Highway Helpline at
1 800-367-ROAD. 

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