Roads remain hazardous in Shenandoah Valley with wintry mix

We’re not getting the massive dump of snow that had been forecast, but the messy mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain is still making roads dangerously slick throughout the Shenandoah Valley.

As of mid-day Thursday, all roads including interstates and primary routes are in moderate condition. This means that snow, ice or slush covers a major portion of the roadway.

The Virginia Department of Transportation urges motorists to avoid non-essential travel. Those who must drive should adjust their speed for the weather conditions, and allow for much longer stopping distances.

VDOT crews and contractors are plowing and treating roads throughout the 11-county Staunton District. VDOT first plows interstates, primary roads and major secondary roads with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high traffic volumes. Secondary roads and subdivision streets are treated in the event of a multi-day storm, but crews focus initially on roadways that are traveled most.

Here are the road conditions as of 11 a.m. Thursday:

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

Visit 511Virginia.org to view pavement temperatures, traffic cameras and color-coded maps of road conditions. For conditions in your specific county, click on the Text Views tab and choose the Road Conditions Table on the drop-down menu.

On the go? Then visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for Android or iOS devices. Obtain traffic alerts and traveler information by dialing 511.

The Staunton District Snow Page is on the VDOT website under Travel Center Snow Emergency Pages. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at 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).

VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.

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