By Michael Copley
Staff Writer

VDOT will try to wring $15 million from the maintenance budget of its Richmond District, which includes Powhatan and 13 other counties, by reducing services for non safety related items in order to achieve a balanced budget after snow removal efforts forced the department of transportation to burn through general maintenance funds. 

Residency engineer Dale Totten said in the Chesterfield Residency alone, money spent on snow removal- around $5.2 million- was almost twice what was budgeted for that purpose.
“We have to find money somewhere,” said Totten.

He said scheduled maintenance items, like shoulder work, are generally the last things impacted when VDOT has to cover spending deficits, but Totten said he won’t know if those kinds of already-scheduled projects will be impacted in this case.

Potholes

VDOT maintenance efforts in March will focus on pothole and minor pavement repairs.

Residents can report potholes and pavement damage to the Chesterfield Residency office at (804)674-2800.

Route 60 Traffic Alert

Westbound traffic on Route 60, from Flat Rock to Red Lane Rd., will be reduced to one lane for four or five weeks as VDOT begins pavement reclamation efforts, said residency engineer Dale Totten.

Totten said the work will begin during the end of March and amounts to “rebuilding the entire road structure.” He warned that, at least for a while, “[Route 60] will look like a disaster.”