VDOT: Crews making progress on roads in Shenandoah Valley

Virginia Department of Transportation plow crews and contractors have made substantial progress in clearing Shenandoah Valley roadways.  Most stretches of interstate roads are clear and the majority of primary roads are in clear to minor condition.  Crews are focusing on the secondary system and monitoring all roads for icy and slush areas.

Plowed roads will experience refreezing tonight. Travel should be done with extreme caution. As snow piles up around intersections and private drives and roads, motorists should take extra care to ensure they have good visibility before pulling into a travel lane.

VDOT closed several exits on Interstate 81 in the Staunton District because truck-stop parking lots were full, creating the risk of stopped tractor trailers on the interstate. Here is the list of closures still in effect as of 5:15 p.m. Sunday:

• I-81 exit 323 in Frederick County – northbound and southbound off ramps are closed.
• I-81 exit 251 in the Harrisonburg area of Rockingham County – northbound and southbound off ramps are closed.

Here are the road conditions as of 5:20 p.m. Sunday:

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

For winter weather road conditions go to www.511Virginia.org, look at the orange bar on the top of the page and click on “Text Views” and then click on “Road Condition Table”. Look at the pull down box that lists all jurisdictions.  In this box individual counties can be chosen to view.

For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia roads.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter andYouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.