The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced a new project to widen Interstate 81 in Roanoke and Botetourt County from exit 143 to exit 150.
The goal of the project is to increase capacity and improve safety, including reduce crashes, lessen delays, and enhance crash response times. According to VDOT, the segment of I-81 that will be worked on experiences frequent congestion and major delays relating to car crashes and incidents.
The upgrades include adding an additional lane in each direction, replacing the bridges over Route 1836, Route 648, Roanoke Road and Tinker Creek, improving the vertical clearance beneath the bridge on Route 115, and realigning northbound and southbound exit ramps.
Additional upgrades include adding interchange lights at exits 143, 146, and 150, extending acceleration and deceleration lanes where needed, installing a concrete barrier wall in narrow median sections, eliminating existing concrete pavement between exits 146 and 150, and installing approximately 8.553 feet of sound barrier along the northbound lanes.
According to VDOT, between 2015 and 2019, this stretch of the interstate saw 662 crashes.
Daily traffic volume is between 35,000 and 39,000 vehicles per day with 22-23% being heavy vehicles.
As part of the widening project, two ramps at exit 150 will be realigned and one will be removed.
For more information, click here.
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Source: VDOT
