Storm debris cleanup to continue into June; More than 655,300 cubic yards collected

In case you forgot, a snowstorm walloped our region on January 3, closing schools for a week, leaving tens of thousands without power and leaving tens of thousands of drivers on Interstate 95 stranded.

It also brought down a whole of trees and limbs. Virginia Department of Transportation crews in Fredericksburg District continue to work seven days a week to collect roadside debris from the state right-of-way following the winter storm.

The total amount of debris to gather along Fredericksburg District routes is now estimated at 1.2 million cubic yards, increasing from earlier post-storm estimates.

Twenty crews are working daily to gather downed trees and debris from road shoulders and medians. Teams have collected more than 655,300 cubic yards of material, representing an estimated 54 percent of storm debris along state-maintained roads in the Fredericksburg District.

Around 17,000 cubic yards of debris are being picked up by crews daily.

Debris has been identified along more than 700 secondary roads in Caroline, King George, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Westmoreland counties.

Like snow removal, crews gather debris along roads that carry the most traffic first. Debris removal is nearly complete along Interstate 95, with two to three weeks of additional pickup remaining.

Following cleanup on I-95 and other primary routes, additional crews can gather debris along secondary roads, routes numbered 600 and above.

Debris removal will continue through spring 2022 and is anticipated to be complete in June 2022.

“We know residents and travelers are eager to have roadside debris removed from routes in their communities, and our crews are working urgently to make progress each day to pick up debris, mile by mile,” said Joyce McGowan, VDOT Assistant District Administrator for Maintenance, Fredericksburg District. “We will not stop until we have reached every state-maintained road to gather storm debris. We appreciate the region’s patience as we steadily work toward reaching all of our affected routes.”

Motorists should be aware of mobile work zones in the affected counties with lane closures. Crews use heavy, slow-moving construction equipment to gather debris along road shoulders and medians.

During and immediately after the January 3 winter 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 push them onto shoulders and along the state right-of-way to provide space for snowplows and trucks applying treatment materials.