VDOT shifting resources to clear neighborhood streets

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has warned drivers that conditions may be slick late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

For your commute on Wednesday, Dec. 10, the 8News team has seen how quickly melted snow from Tuesday can freeze again on the pavement, including in one Chesterfield neighborhood our team visited.

While some roads are still icy and slippery, VDOT said it's shifting its resources from treating the cleared interstates and U.S. routes to treating side streets and neighborhoods.

Loading salt and sand to put down on the roads, VDOT crews are working 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day. On Tuesday night, you may have noticed Richmond District VDOT crews putting down abrasives on your neighborhood streets, rather than only on "primary" streets like interstates and U.S. routes.

"They'll continue that into the early morning hours," VDOT Senior Communications Specialist Sara Shepherd said.

While crews have made significant progress, it's unclear how long they'll maintain the same attack plan.

"We're anticipating that we would go back to our normal schedule sometime tomorrow. That just depends on what other weather might be coming in," Shepherd explained.

Either way, drivers might not be in the clear for some time to come, especially in the deep freeze on Tuesday night and the early morning hours on Wednesday.

"We recommend and advise that you postpone travel if it's not necessary until those roadway conditions improve," Shepherd said.

Stick with 8News for road condition updates or dial 511.