FREDERICKSBURG –Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews will soon begin an anti-icing operation on Interstate 95 in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties with the potential of snow and below freezing temperatures overnight.
Motorists on I-95 should expect brief delays in the Fredericksburg area and are urged to stay alert for this slow-moving mobile operation.
Crews will begin spraying the salt brine on I-95 southbound at Exit 150/Joplin Road in Prince William County this morning and travel to Exit 118/Thornburg in Spotsylvania County. The trucks will then turn around at Exit 118 and head on I-95 northbound to Exit 150.
Trucks applying salt brine to the interstate, travel together at approximately 35 mph. One truck travels in each of I-95’s three general purpose lanes, forming a straight line across the interstate.
Slower travel speeds are required to spray the salt brine onto the interstate with precision and to ensure an adequate amount is absorbed in the pavement.
Anti-icing helps prevent ice from bonding to the pavement during inclement weather, which can reduce the risk of hazardous travel conditions and assists crews with snow and ice removal. Pretreatment does not guarantee that roads will not be slippery once precipitation arrives.
Based on the most recent forecast, Fredericksburg District crews have staged equipment and materials around the area with the potential of snow and below freezing temperatures overnight. They will continue to monitor conditions and mobilize if necessary to spread sand, salt and treatment chemicals as needed to any slick or hazardous road conditions to improve motorist traction. Crews will work 12-hour shifts, 24-hours a day, until all roads are safe for travel.
