RSSHeavy snowfall has long-term consequences
Winter weather bites into VDOT budget, slows construction work
As the massive piles of snow from last week's blizzards slowly melt away, numerous public agencies are still grappling with the aftermath of the snowiest winter on record for the Washington metropolitan area.
For the already cash-strapped Virginia Department of Transportation, the additional snow removal means the agency will be dipping into its road maintenance budget to keep clearing the roads.
At latest estimate, the bill for snow cleanup for this winter is about $67 million and climbing for Northern Virginia alone, according to Jennifer Smith McCord, a VDOT spokeswoman. That is not counting the money Fairfax County spends to clear county facilities and park-and-ride lots -- a cost of about $6 million just for last week's storms.
After running through the $27 million budgeted for snow removal here, the region was able to tap into a $25 million statewide emergency reserve fund. That, too, is now exhausted, so additional expenses will come out of the general road maintenance budget, McCord said.
The roads will still get cleared regardless, but it may mean fewer dollars available for non-safety-related maintenance needs, she said.
Heavy snows have also caused temporary slowdowns in the major construction work taking place around the region, including the Dulles Metrorail extension, the new toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and additional lanes on Interstate 95.
"In the short term, the weather can have an impact for the little milestones," said Steve Titunik, communications director for Virginia Megaprojects, the VDOT team overseeing the major road construction projects, including the beltway toll lanes.
"You always build time into contracts for unforeseen events, of which weather is one," Titunik said, explaining crews can make up for the weather-related setbacks from this winter over the long term.
Above-ground work on the Dulles Metrorail extension has been slowed, but crews began removing snow from some construction sites last week so they can get back to work, according to Marcia McAllister, a project spokeswoman. VDOT also contracted with some rail construction workers to help remove snow from the roadways.
"So far, it has not changed the completion date," McAllister said. "Come springtime, we will be really looking at ways to make up for that time," including adding extra crews.
Work on the two tunnels that will carry trains underneath the highest point of Tysons Corner has been able to continue unfettered because it is underground.
Some planned lane shifts on Route 7 and Route 123 have been postponed. A planned two-year closure of the right lane of southbound 123 near the future Tysons East rail station, between Scott's Crossing Road and the beltway, was slated to begin Feb. 8 but was postponed.
A revised plan for the closure will be finalized late this week, McAllister said.