ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – The Virginia Department of Transportation has announced a project to widen Interstate 81 in Roanoke and Botetourt County from exit 143 to exit 150 will soon begin.
The purpose of the project is to hopefully 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 plans include adding an additional lane within the existing median in each direction of I-81, constructing over 8,000 feet of sound barrier along the northbound lanes, and improving the vertical clearance beneath the bridge on route 115 which may lead to detours during construction. Plan designs also call for the installation of a concrete barrier wall in narrow median sections and adding interchanging traffic lights at impacted exits.
For more information, visit their website here.
