RICHMOND, Va. -- Winter weather can be a headache whenever it strikes Central Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Transporation's Richmond District shared its plans for handling snow and ice this season, saying it's budgeted about $31.4 million for winter weather across 14 counties, including Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico County.
“We prepare for the worst and hope we do get limited snow or no snow. We have the amount of resources and equipment we need to handle any kind of event we get," VDOT Richmond District Infrastructure Manager Austin Anderson said.
There are 1,375 pieces of "snow fighting" equipment, like snowplows, ready to go, according to VDOT.
VDOT has more than 84,00 thousand tons of salt and sand combined, and more than 53,000 gallons of chemical mixtures like salt brine and other snow and ice-fighting agents.
VDOT said for the 2022-23 winter season, crews did not have to use any of their resources, since there were no significant snow or ice-related weather incidents in Central Virginia.
This year, preparation started in the Spring. Then crews completed a "dry run" in October to practice using certain equipment.
In November, VDOT partnered with the Virginia State Police and the Department of Emergency Management to practice real-life, weather-related scenarios.
Anderson said VDOT has worked to manage any kind of staffing shortages among field crews and has explored offering temporary work positions to make sure crews are sufficiently staffed in times of need.
He said the best way for drivers to help crews get roadways as clear as possible is to stay off the roads.
"If we're in an active event, the safest place to be is at home, and if you have to travel, be sure to look at your route and your destination and have an alternate route handy just in case you can't go the way you intended to, and just be safe," Anderson said.
VDOT encouraged drivers to always have an emergency safety kit in their vehicle and to check weather and road conditions before trying to drive through potentially hazardous weather conditions.
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