RICHMOND – To help with traffic flow over the Fourth of July holiday, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will open lanes that normally would have been temporarily closed for construction or maintenance work on major highways.

In general, the lanes will be clear from noon Tuesday, July 3, until noon Thursday, July 5.

Long-term construction zones with concrete barriers and orange barrels will remain in place.

Motorists should obey speed limits and pay special attention in highway work zones. Speeding in a work zone can bring a $500 fine.

Motorists also should be aware of Highway Safety Corridors. They are located on Interstate 81 in Salem and on Interstate 95 in Richmond and Northern Virginia. Motorists who speed, tailgate or drive recklessly on sections of these interstates could be fined up to $2,500.

The following traffic and traveler information services are available to motorists:

• 511 Virginia – 511 Virginia is a comprehensive resource for real-time information on travel, weather and road conditions across the state. You can access 511 Virginia by dialing 511 from your phone or visiting 511Virginia.org. 511 Virginia also provides information on regional tourist sites, food, lodging and emergency services. Visit 511Virginia.org to sign up to receive e-mail alerts on roadways of your choice.
  
  Callers outside Virginia can access 511 by dialing (800) 578-4111.
  
  
• E-ZPass - Virginia’s electronic toll collection system is part of the E-ZPass network.
  
  E-ZPass customers may use their transponders at toll facilities in:


• Delaware
  
• Illinois
  
• Indiana
  
• Maine
  
• Maryland
  
• Massachusetts
  
• New Hampshire
  
• New Jersey
  
• New York
  
• Pennsylvania
  
• Virginia
  
• West Virginia



• VDOT Highway Helpline – Motorists can call (800) 367-ROAD to report problems or unsafe conditions on Virginia’s roads, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  
  
• VDOT Safety Service Patrols - They respond to crashes and help provide traffic control. They also provide basic automobile repair and first aid.
  
  The patrols operate on major highways in the Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, Roanoke, Staunton and Augusta County areas.
  
  A new Safety Service Patrol is tentatively scheduled to launch the first week of July in Frederick and Shenandoah counties along Interstate 81. The service will extend from mile marker 298 to 323.

For information on road construction, incidents and to view live traffic cameras, visit VDOT’s Travel Center.

The following work zones may pose temporary delays for travelers:

Culpeper

Route 3/522 overpass at Route 29 (Culpeper County) - One lane will be closed both eastbound and westbound for repairs to the bridge deck. The remaining lanes are reduced to 14-foot maximum width. Oversized truck restrictions are in effect.

Farmville

Route 15/460 Business in the town of Farmville is restricted to 11-foot lanes for bridge reconstruction.

Fredericksburg

Interstate 95 South (Fredericksburg) - The Fredericksburg Rest Area/Welcome Center is closed for reconstruction.

Halifax County

Route 360 in Halifax County is restricted to one 12-foot lane on the bridge over the Banister River. A traffic signal and other devices are in place to assist motorists with crossing the bridge.

Hampton Roads

There will be no lane closures at the Interstate 64/Battlefield Boulevard Project starting 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 3, until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 5.

Northern Virginia

There will be no construction-related Beltway lane closures on Virginia’s portion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project, which extends along Interstate 495/Capital Beltway from the Wilson Bridge abutment to the Telegraph Road interchange, starting at noon Tuesday, July 3, until 5 a.m. Monday, July 9. 

There will be no lane closures at the Springfield Interchange starting noon Tuesday, July 3, until noon Thursday, July 5.

Richmond

Interstate 295/I-64 flyover (western Henrico County) - Expect 11-foot travel lanes and concrete barriers along I-64 east and west between Route 288 (Exit 174) and I-295 (Exit 177). The speed limit has been reduced to 55 mph in this work zone.

I-295 South is restricted to one lane between the I-295/I-64 interchange (mile marker 53) and mile marker 52. Trucks carrying loads more than 12-feet wide are restricted from using I-295 North or South from I-64.

Route 288 (Goochland County) - Expect periodic lane closures on the Tuckahoe Creek Parkway (Route 740) ramp from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 4, for pavement sealing. Motorists will continue to have access to the ramp and Route 288 during work.

Southwest Virginia

Interstate 77/I-81 overlap - Be alert to the possibility of slowed or stopped traffic in this area of Wythe County due to expected high traffic volumes.

I-77 East River and Big Walker Mountain tunnels - Be alert for delays due to restoration projects at both tunnels.

Staunton

I-81 (Frederick County) - The Virginia Welcome Center at Clear Brook closed in May 2006 for reconstruction. A temporary welcome center is located at 6 S. Loudoun Street near the Winchester Old Town historic mall.

Route 340 (Warren County)/North Fork Bridge project - A traffic pattern switch to the new bridge span, involving all lanes, may occur Sunday, July 1, through Monday, July 2.

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Note to editors: For details about specific projects, please contact the district public affairs office for the project area. Those offices are listed here.

Page last modified: June 28, 2007