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Paving the Way to Better Roads
As you know, the state is facing a major challenge repaving and repairing roads that for years have been neglected. This year's winter, which brought
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s several feet of snow and icy conditions, left our roads in an even worse condition.
You don't have to drive far to see the numerous potholes popping up on our streets - a number that seems to keep multiplying by the day. Potholes are created when roads freeze and then expand, weakening the surface. When the ice melts, the weight of traffic creates a crack which ultimately forms a pothole. This is exacerbated by especially bad winters.
Most roads in Fairfax County are owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), a state, not county agency. This includes the maintenance and repaving of our roads. Although VDOT has been out filling potholes as they become a nuisance, those repairs are often only a temporary fix until paving can be done later in the spring.
The most permanent solution is repaving - which we'll soon see in full force.
VDOT has made a real effort to improve the condition of our roads, committing nearly $300 million of maintenance funds in the last two years to Northern Virginia. Every year, VDOT rates statewide pavement conditions and determines the best treatment to extend pavement life. Pavement condition, ride quality, and traffic volume are all taken into account when they create their paving schedule.
VDOT will be releasing the list of roads that will be on the 2016 paving schedule in the coming weeks. Additionally, Delegate Mark Sickles and I met with representatives from VDOT last month to push for more paving in our community and more attention to our roads which we will continue to focus on until our roads are fixed.
Subdivision repaving is happening comprehensively in areas for cost savings. This means whole neighborhoods are getting done together, not solely based on condition alone. While this is efficient, it can be frustrating since not all the roads in poor condition are going to be fixed in one paving season. Some that may appear to be in worse shape may not happen until next year or later.
To make a request to VDOT for road paving or to report a pothole you may contact them directly by visiting their website at http://www.virginiadot.org/ or calling them at 1-800-FOR-ROAD.
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