Richmond asks for patience with snow-clearing on neighborhood roads

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The city of Richmond has begun snow-clearing operations on neighborhood roads Tuesday evening, but the combination of snow and ice poses a challenge for crews.

Richmonders are being asked to be patient and to stay at home while the Department of Public Works (DPW) crews get through secondary streets. DPW and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said their efforts in the last 48 hours have cleared interstates and primary roads, but it will take time before neighborhoods are in the same condition.

The combination of snow and precipitation in the region from the winter storm has created a difficult situation for the crews.

"When you get the snow, the sleet, the rain, it layers on top of each other. And sometimes motorists come out, and then they drive on top of that, which compacts it more," said VDOT communications manager Nicole Bell.

Richmond city officials have noted the same issue.

"We can't really plow ice," said DPW director Bobby Vincent.

This has led to salt treatment as their main option for clearing the roads.

"The chemicals will enable us to be able to kind of break up the ice a little bit," Vincent said.

"Today, on a beautiful, bright day like we have with the sun shining, it's going to help with the melting process," Bell said. "Which helps our crews get out there and be able to tackle the streets, to tackle the ice, to get down the treatment so that the roads are clear enough for people to move about safely on them."

Residents are reminded that the clearing process takes time, and neighborhood roads are not the priority after a storm.

"I get that people want their neighborhood done. That's something that is certainly understandable," Vincent said. "But if you don't have anywhere to go once you get out of your neighborhood because the main roads aren't done, that makes no sense to us."

"We start off treating streets that take care of five, ten, 15,000 vehicles per day," Vincent noted. "So on those streets that take care of 150 cars per day, it's going to take us a little while to get those taken care of in the same priority."

VDOT and DPW have begun preparations for the possibility of another storm this weekend. Vincent said the chemicals laid down this week will speed up the melting process going forward.