I-81 Safety Improvements
Entire
Corridor
- Variable message boards were added along the entire corridor from 2003 - 2005.
- The Northwestern and Southwestern Regional Operations Centers (also known as Smart Traffic Centers) were launched in 2004 and 2005.
- There are 27 traffic cameras along Interstate 81 and nine traffic cameras on the Buffalo Creek Bridge project north and southbound from mile marker 182.5 to mile marker 184 on Interstate 81. There also are four cameras in the Bristol area of I-81. Additional cameras are planned for I-81.
- VDOT has two Safety Service Patrols along I-81. Patrols run between the Rockingham County line and mile marker 213 near Greenville and between Exit 118 near Christiansburg and Exit 150 north of Roanoke.
Augusta
County
Safety Projects:
- Implement intelligent transportation systems such as variable message boards, pavement weather sensors, permanent overhead message boards, radios throughout the Staunton District. District-wide project cost is estimated to be $1,550,000.
Frederick
County
Safety Projects:
- Traffic pattern change with improvement to the turn lane and traffic signals at the interchange at Exit 313 at Route 17/50/522. Bridge improvements at the Abrams Creek Bridge project on I-81 northbound. Work is scheduled to be complete in the winter of 2007.
Montgomery
County
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Pulaski
County
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Roanoke
County
Safety Projects:
- Improvements at the interchange of Interstate 81 and Route 419 at Exit 141 near Salem. These improvements included adding traffic signals and adding turn lanes on Route 419. This project is complete.
Rockbridge
County
Safety Projects:
- Guardrail upgrades on Interstate 81 northbound at various locations from mile marker 186.04 to mile marker 195.12. A completion date is set for Sept. 30, 2007.
- Removal and replacement of existing Right of Way fence for 4.0 miles on Interstate 81 northbound from mile marker 191.08 to mile marker 195.08 and for 2.25 miles southbound on Interstate 81 from mile marker 190.25 to mile marker 188. A completion date is set for May 11, 2007.
- Replacement of two bridges and guardrail upgrades at the Buffalo Creek project north and southbound from mile marker 182.5 to mile marker 184. A completion date is set for July 2007.
- Replacement of two bridges and guardrail upgrades at the Maury River project north and southbound from mile marker 189 to mile marker 191. This project was completed November 2006.
- Rumble strip upgrades at various locations on Interstate 81 in 2006.
- Exit 180 (Natural Bridge/Fancy Hill) northbound loop was closed from Route 11 southbound in the spring of 2006 to reconfigure the interchange. The function of the acceleration lane onto northbound I-81 was improved.
Rockingham
County
Safety Projects:
- Removal and replacement of existing Right of Way fence on Interstate 81 northbound near Mt. Crawford for 0.49 mile from mile marker 241.92 to mile marker 242.41, Interstate 81 northbound near Shenandoah County line for 1.2 mile from mile marker 259.2 to mile marker 260.4, Interstate 81 southbound near Shenandoah County line for 1.1 mile from mile marker 261.8 to mile marker 260.7. A completion date is set for June 15, 2007.
- Guardrail upgrades northbound on Interstate 81 at various locations between mile marker 254 and mile marker 257.90. A completion date is set for Sept. 30, 2007.
- Guardrail and rumble strip upgrades on two northbound ramps at exit 240 on Interstate 81 and from mile marker 254 to mile marker 258 northbound on Interstate 81.
- Fence replacement at various locations on Interstate 81 during the summer of 2005.
Shenandoah
County
Safety Projects:
- Guardrail upgrades northbound on Interstate 81 at various locations between mile marker 291.27 and mile marker 298.24. A completion date is set for Sept. 30, 2007.
- Rumble strip upgrades at various locations on Interstate 81 in 2006.
- Design of the reconstruction of one of Abingdon's busiest interchanges, Exit 17 (Cummings Street and Route 75) is currently on hold pending outcome of the I-81 Improvement Study and a decision on the I-81 Public Private Partnership proposal.
Wythe
County
I-81/I-77 Overlap Location Study:
(Meeting
Handout 1)
(Meeting
Handout 2)
(Map)
The I-77/I-81 overlap location study is currently on hold due to a submitted Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA) proposals to reconstruct the entire I-81 corridor. Because these proposals involve the I-81/I-77 overlap section, the study will remain on hold until a decision is made regarding the proposals.
Previous activities with the study included environmental evaluations, economic and right of way considerations, terrain, geology, constructability, impact of traffic during construction, safety and how the proposed locations would serve the nation’s interstate network.
Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern, Inc., Roanoke is the consultant engineering firm performing the study. Virginia Tech is providing assistance with the traffic analysis, economic development analysis as well as coordinating a citizen advisory group and other outreach opportunities.
