Snowplows, metal tracks and new county roads: what the board is doing about your road

The short version: The county is hiring snow removal vendors for county roads (Sept. 14 minutes; Nov. 2 agenda). Since August, metal-tracked equipment is banned from county roads except in a declared local emergency (Aug. 3 minutes). Two more roads were up to be added to the county road system (Nov. 2 agenda).

Snow removal

On Sept. 14, the board voted 6-0, with one member absent, to advertise for vendors to remove snow on county roads (Sept. 14 minutes). The Nov. 2 agenda asked the board to approve the vendors for fiscal year 2026/2027 (agenda). The minutes showing which vendors were picked have not been posted yet.

VDOT's residency administrator was also on the Nov. 2 agenda (agenda).

No metal tracks on county roads

On Aug. 3, the board voted 7-0 to change Chapter 90 of the county code. It bans equipment with metal tracks on county roads, except during a locally declared emergency when it's needed to respond (Aug. 3 minutes).

Deeper layer

Two roads may join the county system. The Nov. 2 agenda listed Foothill Road (county road 2355, South Grundy District) and Bluebird Road (county road 2303, Rocklick District) to be formally taken into the county road system (agenda). It also listed accepting a deed from CNX Gas for Humbert Road in the Hurricane District (agenda).

Coal road money at work. In September the board approved two VDOT invoices numbered COAL000169 ($282,773.91) and COAL000171 ($7,886.35), paid from county account CST 05-41080-7012 (Sept. 14 minutes). In August it approved COAL000168, for $82,177.06, from the same account (Aug. 3 minutes).

The Southern Gap road. The Ruffed Grouse Lane extension at Southern Gap High School got another $154,000 in August, money left unspent last year (Aug. 3 minutes). A $148,979 reimbursement was on the Nov. 2 agenda (agenda). A request to add school access routes at Southern Gap to the state highway system was tabled in September (Sept. 14 minutes).

Names on the map. The board scheduled a ceremony for Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. to name the bridge on Route 609, Bull Creek Road, the "Francis Gary Powers Memorial Bridge" (Sept. 14 minutes). A plan to name part of Old Greenbrier Road, between Route 608 and Route 744, "Southern Gap Road" went to a public hearing in September, and the vote was tabled (Sept. 14 minutes).

Coming up. The board planned to schedule a Dec. 7 public hearing on changes to the county rule for off-road vehicles on public roads (Nov. 2 agenda).

Sources

• Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, Agenda, Nov. 2, 2026
• Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, Minutes, Sept. 14, 2026
• Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, Minutes, Aug. 3, 2026