After 4 snow storms walloped Hampton Roads this winter it’s no surprise that VDOT is over budget when it comes to snow removal costs.
“Our annual snow budget is $4.8 million, but we have spent close to $9 million,” said VDOT Hampton Roads District Administrator Jim Utterback.
Even though Hampton Roads spent nearly twice what was budgeted, local numbers pale in comparison to other areas around the state.
In all, VDOT spent about $250 million dollars on snow removal this year--$100 million over budget.
That doesn't even include the major pothole repairs needed in the wake of these storms.
“We will have additional costs because of the winter weather. Water gets into cracks, expands, and makes larger cracks,” said Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne.
NewsChannel 3 contacted Secretary Layne, after a CBS Evening News report out of Northern Virginia aired Monday night.
It suggested the state would be cutting back on maintenance in the spring to make up for the money spent in the winter storms.
Layne says after the story aired, he had a conference call with local VDOT administrators, where he made it clear.
“In terms of any sacrifice in any performance or safety measures, like pothole repairs, none of that will be impacted,” said Layne.
“We are not going to cancel maintenance work just because we went over on snow budget,” said Utterback who also stresses the permanent concrete repairs scheduled for I-264 and I-64 this summer continue to be important priorities. “We have over $100 million going to rehabilitation work on the interstates, and those three contracts will keep going.”
Regardless of the blown snow budgets.
