Confusing and messy
Ahh, makes sense now. I thought most of the snow removal was being done by ICA (Infrastructure Contractors of America) but I guess its Transfield. Interesting to see how only the VDOT supervisors have gotten STARS radios but everybody else is still on lowband. I rarely hear VDOT simplex communications anymore either, it seems to either be on their repeaters or nothing. I remember hearing 45.760 (VDOT channel 25) when I still lived in Fairfax being used on I-66 whenever it snowed...
It is very confusing and messy. I am recalling from memory and my facts may not be exact. Unless things have changed ICA has the I64 maintenance contract for the Peninsula and Tidewater area.and also for I64 west of Louisa Co. to the W. Va. state line. ICA additionally may have a contract for I81 north to the MD line and south to Wytheville where Transfield has the contract for I81 to Bristol at the TN line. ICA also has a contract for I95 north of Fredericksburg to NOVA for I395/I495. Transfield has the responsibility for the central and southern portions of I95/I64/I85 as listed in my previous post. About a year ago I created a map showing who was what where but I cannot locate it now. If I can find it I'll post it.
As for snow removal a number of local companies are additionally contracted by VDOT for snow removal.
They will pre-position their salt/sand truck at various locations before a storm arrives. Shoosmith in Chester as well as a number of others that Richard Rowland posted were contracted in the Richmond area. I assume the same local contracting occurs in other parts of the state also.
VDOT certainly does not do what they did years ago. There were several dead mature pine trees on an undeveloped section of Ft. Lee, across the road from my property, with one in particular that might fall on the road in the next big storm. I called the Ft. Lee Safety office and reported safety of life situation to the woman who answered. She took a report and subsequently I heard nothing. I called the Petersburg Residency and Prince George CH VDOT offices, reported it and asked for somebody to come and cut the trees before they fell. No, no, no. That's not their job. I was advised contractors do much of VDOT's work these days. I called Prince George Electric Coop and reported it and asked for help. No can do. It' on Ft. Lee property and they could be sued. I even called the Prince George PD and reported it to a Community Relations Sergeant. I never heard anything from him. About 3 months later I heard a tremendous thud outside my house. I ran outside and surprise surprise the tree I had reported had fallen across the road at about 3PM with the additionally traffic of school buses beginning to make their runs.. My road is a heavily traveled Ft. Lee perimeter road with lots of traffic during certain periods of time. The car closest to the fallen tree missed getting squashed by about 30 ft. It just so happened that the driver was the new Inspector General for Ft. Lee and he was livid after I told him I had reported the safety hazard almost a year earlier. He had a camera with him and took pictures. The PG PD came, VDOT came and somebody, possibly VDOT, appeared with a large front end loader and pushed the debris to the road shoulder. None of them wanted to hear my "I told you so". About a month later I heard chain saws. Obviously the Inspector General told the Ft. Lee Safety Office to cause a contract be awarded ASAP. In the process I am sure he also told the Chief of the Safety Office his experience my comments. The tree trimming co. was from Elizabeth City, NC, and had driven up about 90 miles that morning to remove other the dead trees that still were a safety hazard. Could VDOT at Prince George CH 1/2 mile away done the one day's work? Of course they could but that was not their job. I am confident that the woman in the Safety Office who logged my report and never followed up was given a verbal or possibly a written reprimand by her supervisor. So, why has VDOT's empire been on the decline? This situation is one reason why.