ROANOKE, Va. – As winter fast approaches the Virginia Department of Transportation is doing double duty, especially in the aftermath of tropical storm Michael and hurricane Florence.
Jen Ward, spokesperson of VDOT, said one of the major challenges before winter hits is repairing pipes that were damaged during the storms.
“It makes it easier if we can get to it now, and we've got several of those throughout the Roanoke County,” Ward said.
Shoulders and pipe damage are still under repair on Route 220 in Roanoke and Franklin Counties.
Another area where crews are hard at work is near Commonwealth Drive where a pipe failed during the storms.
“We’re working to put that pipe back in the ground and do a full pipe replacement,” Ward said.
VDOT hopes to fix as many of the damaged roads as possible before winter arrives.
“We have multiple crews out there working really long hours, and we're really asking for everybody's patience and understanding during this time,” Ward said.
While other repairs are still in progress, Ward said the work on Commonwealth Drive is expected to be completed in the next week.