The Snows are A'Commin

VDOT requests that before a storm, residents put all cars in their driveway, leaving the street clear for plowing, especially on cul-de-sacs.  If that is not possible,
park on the odd number side of the street.

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s neighborhood-plowing website and plow-tracking program will again bJohn Marr Drive at Columbia Pikee among the tools the agency will use this winter in northern Virginia.

“We have seen a great success in the website so far,” said Branco Vlacich, VDOT’s maintenance engineer for northern Virginia, at the annual snow briefing. “Even in past year’s heavy snows we saw a drastic drop in customer service calls, and we think that is because drivers and residents can get instant answers to their questions with real-time visuals of road conditions and specific progress of our snow crews.”

VDOT is responsible for 17,737 lane miles in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties (Arlington County maintains its own secondary roads). About half of those miles are highways, and half are neighborhood streets.  

Winter Highlights

Neighborhood plowing page: Residents are encouraged to continue using vdotplows.org to monitor the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods. Once it snows more than two inches, residents in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties can enter their address and a color-coded snow map shows whether plowing is underway, completed or not yet started in their neighborhood.

Equipment: More than 4,000 trucks and plows are available and all are equipped with automatic vehicle locator (AVL) equipment. Special equipment includes:

  • A jet-powered snow melter for park-n-ride lots where massive snow piles block spaces.
  • Seven high-pressure flush trucks clear snow and ice around the bollards separating the I-495 Express Lanes and regular lanes.
  • A truck-mounted weather station provides mobile measurements on road conditions (dry, moist, wet, snow, ice), as well as surface, dew point and air temperature, humidity and thickness of ice. This helps ensure that crews do not over- or under-apply chemicals.
  • Two super-sized front loaders plow interstates with 20-foot wide blades during severe storms.
  • Speed-activated anti-icing equipment puts the right amount of material on the road.

A super-sized salt dome at the Beltway and Van Dorn Street holding 22,000 tons – about three times the capacity of a typical dome – helps ensure that crews do not run low during severe storms.

    500 lane miles on major roads, such as Fairfax County Parkway, routes 1, 7, 28, 29, and 50, are pre-treated with salt brine. Brine (77 percent water, 23 percent salt) prevents ice from bonding to the road surface, reduces the need for salt to melt ice, is kinder to the environment and can lower snow removal time and costs.

    VDOT’s Winter Resources:  See the status of plowing in Northern Virginia neighborhoods: www.vdotplows.org

    Follow @VaDOTNOVA on Twitter

    Be proactive and report unplowed roads: novainfo@vdot.virginia.gov    or     800-367-7623

     

    Information provided by VDOT.  (Copyright © 2012 Annandale Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.  (Photographs & images, on this page, and on this website, are not available for use by other publications, blogs, individuals, websites, or social media sites.)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Emergency Contacts
    Be Proactive-Report Unplowed Roads

      • Public Safety Non-Emergency: 703-691-2131
      • Fairfax County Emergency Information Line: 703-817-7771
      • Washington Gas: 1-800-752-7520
      • Fairfax Water: 703-698-5800
      • Cox Customer Service: 703-378-8422
      • Fairfax County Stormwater Mgt. 03-877-2800
    • Fairfax County Wastewater Collection -Trouble Response Center: 703-323-1211 or www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/wastewater/trouble.htm
    • Hotline to VDOT Plowing Central:  800-367-7623

    • Another local VDOT number:  703-383-8368

    • Maintenance requests, such as snow removal or pothole repair via e-mail at novainfo@vdot.virginia.gov

    • Note: if your road is not plowed, & you have an emergency, VDOT will coordinate with emergency personnel.  

    VDOT requests that before a storm, residents put all cars in their driveway, leaving the street clear for plowing, especially on cul-de-sacs.  If that is not possible, park on the odd number side of the street.

    Also remember to have your cellular phones and portable electronics fully charged, fill prescription medications, and buy Pet Food.

     WINTER SCENES IN ANNANDALE
    (From the ACC Photographic Archive)

    Juke Box Diner, Annandale VA, Annandale, VA (ACC photographic archive, not for reuse)Cannon Park, Annandale, VA (ACC photographic archive, not for reuse)Evergreen Lane, Annandale (ACC photographic archive, not for reuse)Corner of John Marr Drive and Columbia Pike, Annandale (ACC photographic archive, not for reuse)Annandale's original Police Department on Ravensworth Road (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)Burke & Herbert Bank on Annandale Road (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)The hills and dales on Trammell Road (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)

    The Clark House, Columbia Pike (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)Toll House Park (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)

    Original St. Michael's Statue now installed on Evergreen Lane. (ACC Photographic Archive, not for reuse.)

    (Copyright © 2012 Annandale Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.  (Photographs & images, on this page, and on this website, are not available for use by other publications, blogs, individuals, websites, or social media sites.)

     

                                                                     Copyright 2012 Annandale Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.                     Privacy Policy

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