VDOT has started an intensive, months-long cleanup effort following Winter Storm Frida to remove trees and other debris from roadside shoulders, medians and ditches across the Fredericksburg region, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
Crews will prioritize debris removal on Interstate 95 and primary routes, which carry heavier traffic volumes traveling at higher speeds. Following cleanup on these 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.
During and immediately after the 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.
More than 10,000 cubic yards of debris needs to be removed from the shoulders and median along I-95 in the Fredericksburg area, which is enough to fill over 770 dump trucks of debris. The interstate debris removal operation will cover approximately 300 miles of interstate.
Starting next week, drivers should be alert for a mobile work zone on I-95 to remove storm debris, starting in Spotsylvania County. Motorists are asked to stay alert for slow-moving, heavy construction equipment operating near the travel lanes.
The mobile operation will include a loader, two motorgraders and a dump truck. This coordination allows the work zone to stay in motion as debris is picked up. Staying on the move helps to accomplish the work faster, which reduces delays for travelers.
Damage assessments continue on secondary roads in the district to identify debris for removal along road shoulders, medians, and ditches. Right now, 696 routes have been identified to be addressed.
Survey workers estimate about 160,000 cubic yards of fallen trees, large limbs, branches and other debris needs to be removed in the Fredericksburg District, that’s enough to fill more than 12,500 dump trucks. The extensive debris removal operation will take several months to complete.
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.gov.
