What do you get with 91,000 tons of sand and 307,000 tons of salt? Those materials will help to clear roads after a winter storm passes this season, transportation officials said.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said today they’re ready for harsh winter weather, with a $126 million budget to treat and plow roads in the event of a storm. The budget is $20 million more than last year’s, officials said.
In VDOT’s Northern District which includes Prince William County, they plan to spend $55 million on treating and plowing. In the Fredericksburg district which includes Stafford County, officials budgeted $6.6 million.
In addition to sand and salt, the state also has on hand 401,000 gallons of liquid calcium and 150,000 gallons of liquid magnesium. These chemicals, including salt brine, are used to treat roads ahead of the storm to prevent ice from forming a bond to roadways, said VDOT spokeswoman Tamara Rollison.
The highway agency says they plan to clear all major roads within 48 hours after a major storm hits by using 6,729 state and hired pieces of equipment.
Pre-Treating Roads
When snow or ice is forecast, crews pre-treat trouble spots on interstates and other high-volume roads with anti-icing chemicals including salt brine, magnesium-chloride and calcium-chloride. These chemicals help prepare the pavement and prevent a bond from forming between the roadway and snow and ice.Road priorities
VDOT’s goal is to have all roads passable within 48 hours after the storm ends. Crews begin by clearing interstates, primary roads and major secondary roads that connect localities, fire stations, employment hubs, military posts, schools, hospitals and other important public facilities. Secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated if multi-day storms hit the Commonwealth, but crews will focus efforts on those roads that carry the most traffic.A statewide network of 77 weather sensors in roadways and bridges, plus 16 mobile video data platforms, allows crews to quickly identify when and where road surfaces might be freezing.
-VDOT
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