Officials urge motorists to stay off the roads
Published 1:19 pm Saturday, January 23, 2016
Officials are urging folks to stay off the roads as more precipitation continues to make travel treacherous.
“State police are still asking for Virginians to stay off the roads Saturday as several more inches of snow/sleet/rain are forecast for the commonwealth,” state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller wrote in an email.
At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, state police were working 27 crashes and 18 disabled vehicles in the Chesapeake division.
The Virginia Department of Transportation continues to apply salt and abrasives to roadways, but motorists are encouraged to avoid travel if possible, according to a release from VDOT. Primary routes are in minor to moderate condition, while secondary routes are reported as moderate to severe.
VDOT also is encouraging motorists who do have to travel to use extreme caution, allow plenty of braking distance and not to crowd plow and spreader trucks.
According to city spokeswoman Diana Klink, freezing rain fell across the city for much of the morning, and snow showers are now exacerbating road conditions. Public Works crews are spreading salt and sand on bridges and primary roadways.
North Main Street was closed at the Kimberly Bridge for about an hour due to higher than normal tides following heavy winds. The bridge has now reopened.
An additional snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches is possible for Suffolk, Klink stated.