From VDOT:
VDOT continues a massive debris cleanup operation to remove trees and other debris from the state right-of-way across the Fredericksburg area and Northern Neck after the Jan. 3 winter storm.
Crews are making progress to remove more than 300,000 cubic yards of debris. Similar to snow removal, crews are prioritizing roads that carry the most traffic first, including Interstate 95 and primary routes, before shifting to secondary roads and subdivision streets.
It’s estimated the extensive operation will be equivalent to 27,000 dump truck loads of debris.
While multiple contractors have been secured to assist VDOT, storm cleanup will take several months to complete, through late spring 2022.
This week, crews continue to remove debris from I-95 and along Route 218 in King George County. It is estimated that around 700 more dump truck loads of debris remain to be removed from I-95 alone in Stafford, Spotsylvania and Caroline counties.
Following cleanup on I-95 and other primary routes, crews will next begin to remove debris along nearly 700 state-maintained secondary roads in the district, which are routes numbered 600 and above.
The following are debris estimates for secondary roadways in the district:
• Spotsylvania: 138,000 cubic yards
• Stafford: 102,000 cubic yards
• Caroline: 71,000 cubic yards
• Westmoreland: 71,000 cubic yards
• King George: 57,000 cubic yards
Drivers should be aware of downed trees, large limbs and branches along road shoulders as the debris removal operation continues.
During and immediately after the Jan. 3 winter storm, crews removed downed trees and debris from travel lanes to reopen roads as quickly as possible. Crews frequently cut large tree limbs into moveable pieces, and pushed them onto shoulders and along the state right-of-way to provide space for snowplows and trucks applying treatment materials.
Motorists should be alert to mobile work zones in the various affected counties with heavy, slow-moving construction equipment. VDOT asks for drivers to slow down as they approach the mobile work zone with large vehicles and workers operating near traffic.
To report a hazard in the road, such as debris blocking a road or travel lanes, contact VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or online at my.vdot.virginia.
