VDOT ready for winter weather

By Gracie Hart
Review Staff Writer
Published: November 20, 2008

With winter quickly approaching, many are wondering just how much of the white stuff the area will see.  No matter how bad, or how mild, the weather may turn out to be, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants residents to know that they are fully prepared for the months ahead.
VDOT offices throughout the state, including the local Culpeper district office, held press conferences Monday to speak about their winter weather preparations.  Crews at the Culpeper district office, which includes nine counties: Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, Orange, Greene, Albemarle, Louisa and Fluvanna; 5have spent the summer months refreshing equipment and training for what they may encounter on the roads in the winter.
“This year, we spent time making sure our senior management has refreshed their training-sharing resources, anticipating conditions and being ready,“ Transportation Commissioner David S. Ekern said.  “We also enhanced our forecasting ability and improved technology.“
Some of the improved technology includes: extra weather and road monitoring equipment on Afton Mountain, more infrared temperature monitors for checking pavement temperatures and 16 more traffic cameras along I-64 and in Greene County which allow for the constant monitoring of road conditions.  The district also has 8,000 tons of sand, 17,000 tons of salt and 68,000 gallons of liquid calcium on hand for snow and ice removal, all of which can be replenished as needed.
“We, like many, are experiencing an economic downturn. In our budget you will see $227 million in savings, but we are not compromising safety,“ Ekern said.  “We are ensuring that our operations are fully funded and that our team is ready to perform.“
The district’s budget is $4.8 million, some of which is going toward a new road pre-treating program.  According to Ekern, 3,600 miles of roads will be pretreated with anti-icing chemicals before each storm.
“In the past, we have waited until precipitation has hit before treating roads,“ District Maintenance Engineer Milton Thacker said.  “In a more efficient use of our budget we will begin treating roads up to 48 hours in advance when the temperature is lower than 36 degrees and snow/ice is forecasted.“
The treatment will be done using four trucks equipped with tanks and spraying systems.  These four trucks are part of the 200 pieces of equipment that the Culpeper district owns for snow operations.  Another 300 pieces of privately-owned contract equipment are available as needed.
According to Ekern, partnerships with private contractors and the Virginia State Police allow for VDOT to keep up with weather conditions.
  “Team work is critical to being able to help people when bad weather hits,“ he said.
Citizen preparedness is also critical to that success.  According to Ekern, citizens should be prepared for winter driving by ensuring that their vehicles are running properly, driving slowly in poor weather, buckling seat belts, allowing extra time, staying alert and knowing the road conditions before leaving home.  For information on road conditions, citizens can visit http://www.511virginia.org which is constantly updated with the latest information on the roads.
Ekern also advises carrying an emergency winter driving kit in vehicles.  The kit should include: a small snow shovel, a small bag of rock salt, sand or kitty litter for traction, a windshield scraper, a flashlight and extra batteries, jumper cables, blankets, extra clothing, high-calorie foods, a tool kit, brightly colored cloth to use as a flag, a first aid kit, a pocket knife, a tow rope and road maps. 
“Citizen preparation is as important as ours,“ Ekern said.  “Weather is an unpredictable event but I think our staff and partners are well prepared.“