Norfolk, Va. - The Virginia Department of Transportation released a statement Wednesday announcing that they will likely exceed their $157 million snow budget by more than $100 million.
That means the department will have to cut into the state's $1.8 billion maintenance budget.
"Make no mistake, this winter has put a strain on our maintenance budget," said Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne. "However, we have sufficient resources to ensure our roads are well-kept and we will continue to be good stewards of public funds. This winter has been rough, but we're committed to delivering a safe and reliable transportation system."
Officials say this won't have any impact on essential services like pothole patching or repaving. However, they are considering a number of options to help offset the extra snow cost.
The options they are considering include:
- Extending completion dates of paving projects
- Limiting the use of some service contracts, which would no include snow removal or pothole patching
- Limiting overtime for employees
- Delaying new equipment purchases
VDOT also says their $1.4 billion construction budget will not be impacted.
