BURKE, Va. — The Virginia Department of Transportation is mobilizing crews ahead of the projected frozen rain and sleet that could impact parts of the commonwealth on Wednesday night heading into Thursday morning.
The agency's Northern Virginia District spokesperson told WUSA9 that by 3 p.m. Wednesday, they had completed brining the roadways that they maintain in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties.
The brine that is made up of 23% salt and 77% water solution helps stop the ice from bonding to the pavement which allows crews about an hour to start their work, according to VDOT.
Transportation officials are keeping a close eye on the conditions along the I-81 corridor in the Culpeper and Northern Virginia regions.
"The biggest concern for us tomorrow with it being a rush hour storm is the ice," said VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis to WUSA9. She reminds morning commuters that there is no strategy for driving on ice.
"It's rush hour, everyone is tired, they are not paying as much attention; they might be speeding. That is all a recipe for disaster," Kamilakis added.
In a statement, VDOT said their crews will be ready to treat roadways with salt or sand as the precipitation transitions to sleet or freezing rain.
Earlier in the year, Virginia agencies faced criticism after a snowstorm paralyzed I-95 leaving drivers stranded for more than 24 hours.
VDOT said they're implementing changes based on the January snow disaster. An independent review released months later said that Virginia agencies could not verify the locations and extent of vehicles stopped. The review also revealed communication issues.
Kamilakis said that this snow season they will be rolling out a two-way messaging system that allows stranded drivers to communicate directly with VDOT representatives. For commercial drivers, they are planning to activate an in-cab technology so that 18-wheelers coming through Virginia can receive alerts about road conditions are areas to avoid.
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