I-95 pre-treatment begins Thursday morning

VDOT will begin pre-treatment operations on Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area on Thursday with the potential of a winter storm this weekend.

VDOT’s Darragh Frye says starting at 9 a.m. drivers should expect daytime delays on I-95 southbound as crews spray a brine solution beginning at exit 150/Joplin Road in Prince William County then proceed to mile marker 101 in Caroline County. Crews will then turn around at exit 98/Doswell in Hanover County and pre-treat travel lanes on I-95 northbound to exit 150.

Frye says State Police will escort the slow-moving equipment on I-95 northbound and southbound to ensure trucks applying brine and crash-cushion vehicles can all travel together. The brine trucks travel at slower speeds to spray the solution onto the road with precision and to ensure an adequate amount is absorbed in the pavement.

Travelers are urged to yield and not pass the mobile operation.

Crews will pre-treat more than 300 lane miles of I-95, ramps and overpasses in the Fredericksburg area on Thursday.

On Friday, Frye says, workers will focus on pre-treating primary roads in Stafford, Spotsylvania and Caroline counties, which are routes numbered 599 and below.

Pre-treatment helps to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement during winter weather, which can reduce the risk of hazardous travel conditions and assists crews with snow and ice removal.

Drivers should monitor local weather forecasts closely and check real-time road conditions along their entire route before starting a trip anywhere in the state by calling 511, visit 511Virginia.org, or download the free Virginia 511 mobile app.

VDOT says travel is always hazardous when ice and snow are present on the road. Even on roads that have been pre-treated, conditions may quickly become slick once precipitation begins.

Additional information and resources are available on VDOT’s winter weather page at vdot.virginia.gov.

VDOT’s Customer Service Center

VDOT’s Customer Service Center is open 24 hours a day to answer questions and take reports of roadway hazards at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

Photo courtesy VDOT Fredericksburg District