By KELLY HANNON
Early-season snow. Late-season snow. Ice. Drifting snow. Flurries.
Whatever winter casts down on Fredericksburg-area highways, the Virginia Department of Transportation says the public should be assured that it has the staff, the vehicles, and the chemicals to handle it.
"Even though we've had some reductions in our overall program, our focus is still on emergency management," said VDOT's Glenn McMillan, Fredericksburg District maintenance engineer.
After a spring, summer and fall where budget cuts at VDOT and other state agencies have been in the news, the agency is emphasizing that nearly $80 million has been put aside for snow removal. An additional $14.1 million is just for clearing snow and ice on interstates and primary roads, like State Route 3 and North Stafford's Garrisonville Road.
That's more money than was available last winter. Last year, VDOT budgeted $75.8 million for snow removal last year. It spent all of it, officials said.
Not all winters are equal. Staffing an ice storm or snowstorm affecting all of Virginia, requiring full mobilization around the clock, costs $10 million a day.
Manpower and equipment needs vary each year based on the type of precipitation and temperatures.
"It's kind of luck of the draw," McMillan said.
In VDOT's Fredericksburg District, a 14-county region, VDOT has 497 pieces of snow-removal equipment prepared to plow and scrape, spread salt and sand.
Tanker trucks are ready to roll on Interstate 95 and area primary roads, applying a salt brine solution.
When temperatures are in the 20s and warmer, it can prevent water from seeping into the pavement's pores and freezing.
Last year, VDOT used brine--water that is 23.4 percent salt--for the first time on I-95 in the Fredericksburg area with good results, said David Stanley, VDOT's Fredericksburg Residency Administrator.
Consequently, the brine program is being expanded this winter.
Brine will now be applied to high-traffic primary roads in the Fredericksburg area in addition to I-95.
VDOT can apply brine up to 48 hours before a storm, when traffic is light.
"We can apply brine even while the sun is still shining," Stanley said.
Brine will be used on all of Northern Virginia's interstates, including more than 50 bridges and ramps at the Springfield Interchange where I-95, I-395 and I-495 converge.
What hasn't changed is the order VDOT clears roads once a storm begins.
Interstates come first, followed by primary roads and high-traffic secondary roads that connect communities, lead to fire stations, employment hubs, military posts, hospitals and other public facilities. Subdivision streets are the last roads to be cleared.
VDOT aims to have all roads passable within 48 hours of the end of a storm, said VDOT spokeswoman Tina Bundy.
VDOT uses National Weather Service forecasts to plan for storm mobilization, along with a private weather service, Meridian.
Staff also look at real-time information gathered through 77 weather sensors scattered around the state. The sensors track wind speed and pavement temperature, a critical piece of information in deciphering road conditions.
Even though temperatures reached the 70s on Monday, VDOT offices have winter weather equipment ready in their parking lots, and enough sand, salt and chemicals stored on site to get through the first major storm in the Fredericksburg area.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com