(WDBJ) – The Virginia Department of Transported (VDOT) has updated the I-81 widening project between exits 143 and 150 in Botetourt County and Roanoke County.
The purpose of this project is to increase capacity and improve safety on I-81 between exits 143 and 150, according to VDOT.
VDOT says these improvements are intended to reduce crashes, lessen delays, and enhance crash response times and include,
- Adding one additional lane within the existing median in each direction of I-81.
- Replacing the pairs of bridges over Route 1836 (Belle Haven Road), over Route 648 (Reservoir Road), over Tinker Creek and Norfolk Southern Railway, and over Route 220/Route 220 Alternate (Roanoke Road).
- Improving the vertical clearance beneath the bridge on Route 115 (Plantation Road) which may require a detour during construction.
- Realigning the ramp from northbound Route 220 (Roanoke Road) onto southbound I-81 at Exit 150.
- Realigning the southbound I-81 off ramp at Exit 150 to connect with Route 220 at a new signal at Tinker Mountain Road.
- Removing the ramp from southbound I-81 onto southbound Route 220 at Exit 150 and rerouting southbound I-81 traffic to use realigned ramp at Tinker Mountain Road.
- Constructing approximately 8,553 feet of sound barrier along the northbound lanes.
- Eliminating existing concrete pavement between Exit 146 and Exit 150.
- Adding interchange lighting at exits 143, 146 and 150.
- Extending acceleration and deceleration lanes where needed.
- Installing concrete barrier wall in narrow median sections.
This segment of I-81 experiences frequent congestion and major delays related to significant crashes and incidents with 662 crashes occurring between 2015 and 2019, according to VDOT. VDOT says traffic volumes range between 35,000 and 39,000 vehicles per day with 22-23 percent heavy trucks…