While some Northern Virginia residents say their streets are in decent shape, others are concerned because they appear almost untouched after the weekend鈥檚 winter storm.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is responsible for plowing many neighborhoods across the region, and followed a standard of making roads passable. But now, the agency has dropped that term, 鈥渂ecause it was kind of a subjective one,鈥� according to spokesman Alex Liggitt.
VDOT aims to create an 8 to 10-foot path that is 鈥渟uitable for emergency service vehicles. And really, that is it 鈥� just to make sure if there is any kind of an emergency occurring somewhere on your street, that emergency services can get there,鈥� Liggitt said.
In response to this storm, crews have had to use bigger pieces of equipment, because the sleet and ice made the mounds of snow heavier, he said.
“They鈥檙e using front-end loaders, skid-steers, tractors to help really push and move this snow so folks can get out,鈥� he said.
Bob Kolasky, who lives in a cul-de-sac in McLean, said the roads 鈥渉ave allowed us to do what we needed to do.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e intentionally not been testing it too much,鈥� Kolasky said. 鈥淚 mean, it is what it is.鈥�
Meanwhile, Alex, who said he lives near Lake Braddock, has had difficulty entering his neighborhood.
鈥淭hroughout my house, they haven鈥檛 cleaned up in front,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aybe an ambulance can get through, but I have to park all the way on the main street because my car does not make it out of there.鈥�
As a delivery driver, he said he鈥檚 鈥渂een lucky. I haven鈥檛 seen a neighborhood like mine.鈥�
Having just left a restaurant, Carrie Blewitt said many of the main roads 鈥渁re fine. The neighborhoods are still a little dicey.鈥�
Liggitt said there isn鈥檛 necessarily a time when the agency鈥檚 response to the snow will end. People are still and calling the Customer Service Center, making suggestions such as having some turn lanes become wider.
鈥淲e鈥檙e keeping our response active, and we鈥檒l continue to do so until it鈥檚 no longer necessary,鈥� Liggitt said.
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