BLACKSBURG, Va. – As winter weather looms, nearby communities are preparing for the possibility of a wintry mix in the coming days. With road safety a top priority, local public works departments are taking action to ensure streets remain clear.
In the Town of Blacksburg, public works teams are already preparing for what’s to come. The first priority is keeping the roads safe, which begins with treating the streets.
“It doesn’t appear that we have any of our brine trucks in right now, and it could be that they are out running their routes and getting prepared for the upcoming event. They could also be getting some last-minute maintenance,” said Joshua Middleton, Assistant Director of Public Works in Blacksburg.
While many localities in the area are still waiting for a clearer forecast before fully ramping up winter preparations, the Town of Blacksburg is already getting its trucks ready.
“So, here’s another portion of where we store our plow trucks, where they have been all suited up, they’ve got the blades on,” Middleton said.
Blacksburg’s public works department focuses on local streets, while the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) handles the highways. However, tips for driver safety are consistent across both: give the working trucks plenty of space and slow down.
“Whenever you can move your vehicles off the road, it just helps with the whole operation as a whole. It keeps your vehicles from being boxed in or damaged,” Middleton added.
As the weather system moves closer, both public works departments and VDOT will have a clearer picture of what additional preparations will be necessary.
Sandy Myers, communications director for the VDOT Staunton district, said, “Our crews are going to be ready. Generally, we stage everybody prior to the storm so they are ready to go out. Once we get a better weather forecast and we know exactly when the weather will move in, then we can go ahead and give assignments on when they need to be out.”
Public works teams and VDOT are staying vigilant, closely monitoring the situation as they prepare for the storm.