LYNCHBURG, Va. – Winter weather is creating increasingly hazardous road conditions in Lynchburg, where crews have been working around the clock to treat city streets.
While roads within Lynchburg city limits remained manageable throughout the day, conditions began deteriorating as temperatures dropped and snow continued to accumulate, particularly on Route 501.
“The colder it gets, the slower that reaction is. So, we will get to a point where salt will no longer be as effective. It never completely stops, but for all intents and purposes it’s not working,” said Clay Simmons, Deputy Public Works Director for Lynchburg.
City crews began preparations around 5 a.m., and VDOT started around midnight, focusing on treating and salting roads. However, the effectiveness of these treatments diminishes as temperatures fall, creating new challenges for road maintenance teams.
VDOT Spokesperson Len Stevens warned of rapidly changing conditions. “We could very quickly here start to see some buildup on the roads. We want everybody to know that conditions on the roads could change very rapidly as we continue through the storm,” Stevens said.
Areas of particular concern include:
- Bridges
- Residential neighborhoods, where plows only operate with snow accumulation over two inches
- Any wet roads at risk of icing over
Officials strongly urge residents to stay off roads unless travel is absolutely necessary, particularly Monday night into early Tuesday morning. Those who must travel Tuesday should exercise extreme caution.