Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg) and Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Woodstock) jointly expressed their concern Thursday about the proposed revisions to roadway maintenance and snow and ice removal standards, and their impact upon the counties of Page and Shenandoah and other rural areas.

In an open letter to Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner David S. Ekern, Obenshain and Gilbert wrote that proposed reductions in roadway maintenance and snow and ice removal pose a direct threat to the safety and well-being of rural Virginians. They called upon VDOT to review its spending priorities in light of the disproportionate impact the current proposal will have upon the Commonwealth's rural areas.

Under the revised standards outlined in VDOT's "Blueprint for the Future," roadways will be re-categorized and service levels decreased, which could create potentially hazardous conditions for rural Virginians.

More than 90 percent of the roadways in Page and Shenandoah counties are categorized as class four or five roads, defined as unpaved roads and all roadways, paved and unpaved, with an average daily traffic rate of fewer than 1,000 vehicles.

Under the proposal, class four roads will get only minimal snow and ice removal, which will leave potentially hazardous conditions even after snow and ice control measures are taken. More than 70 percent of the roads in Page and Shenandoah counties fall under this classification.

In their letter, Obenshain and Gilbert urge that "roadway maintenance, snow and ice removal, and other safety precautions take precedence over new construction," and request VDOT carefully consider its budget priorities in light of the safety concerns the current proposal raises for rural Virginia.