The following is a list of forecasted highway projects that may impact traffic traveling in the 12-county Salem Transportation District this week. Work schedules and construction project timelines are always subject to change and weather dependent. The Salem District covers Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski and Roanoke counties.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY TRAVEL: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will ease travel on the roadways by suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon today, Wednesday, Nov. 23, until noon on Monday, Nov. 28. While lane closures will be lifted in most locations, motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place during this time. A full listing of those lane closures can be found on VDOT’s website.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
I-81 NORTHBOUND AT EXIT 105 NEW RIVER BRIDGE REPLACEMENT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Traffic on northbound I-81 has been switched onto the newly constructed bridge over the New River at the Montgomery/Pulaski County line. The old bridge is being demolished. Lane and shoulder closures may be in place near exit 105. Lane closure may be in effect during the week from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Shoulder closures may be in effect at any time during the week. Slow rolls may be performed on I-81 in the north and southbound lanes from mile marker 98 to 109. Speed limit is reduced to 60 miles per hour in the work zone. Shoulder closures will remain in place though the duration of the project. Project completion is estimated by summer 2023.
ROUTE 114 TURN LANE CONSTRUCTION – Construction is underway on road improvements on Route 114 (Peppers Ferry Road) for a new entrance to Belview Elementary School. Motorists should expect daily lane closures controlled by flagging.
INTERSTATE 81
INTERSTATE 81 LANE WIDENING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT EXIT 137 TO EXIT 141 – A $179 million design-build project to widen both directions of I-81 between mile markers 136.6 and 141.8 from two to three lanes is set to begin. Starting in February and continuing into the early summer, work will be performed on the inside and outside shoulders along a five mile section of both northbound and southbound Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and the city of Salem. The shoulders will be built up before barrier wallS can be installed for road crews to work behind. Barrier wallS will be installed along the shoulders in the spring and summer. Two lanes of I-81 traffic in each direction will remain open during the project with periodic lane closures scheduled during nighttime hours or outside of peak travel times as needed. Drivers can expect the following lane closures and upcoming impacts on northbound and southbound I-81:
WORK ZONE SPEED: With narrow spacing in lanes due to barrier walls, lack of shoulders and lane shifts in various locations, drivers should adhere to posted 60 mph speed limits in the work zone and allow space when following a vehicle.
RAMP CLOSURES: Ramp closures are possible during nighttime hours, 12 a.m., to 5 a.m. Drivers should watch for message boards dates and times the ramp will be closed.
LANE CLOSURES: Alternating left and right lane and shoulder closures during nighttime hours between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, are possible. Lane widths will be reduced to 11 feet.
o Northbound lane closures from I-81 mile marker 136 to 141.
o Southbound Lane closures from I-81 mile marker 141 to 136.
Nightly lane closures may be in place along the right lane with possible nightly ramp narrows as needed for guardrail and shoulder strengthening.
- Northbound I-81 lane closures from mile marker 138 to 142
- Northbound I-81 exit and entrance ramp narrows possible at Route 311.
The project also includes replacing six bridges, widening two bridges, installing approximately 2.6 miles of sound barrier walls along northbound I-81, improving the southbound exit 137 off-ramp intersection at Wildwood Road and adding interchange lighting at exits 137, 140 and 141 are also included in the project. Expected completion in early 2026.
I-81 TROUTVILLE REST AREA CLOSURE – The Troutville Rest Area located on southbound Interstate 81 near mile marker 158 in Botetourt County is closed until further notice. The opening scheduled before Thanksgiving has been rescheduled due to construction delays. Paving is weather dependent and will have to be completed to reopen the rest area.
Signage indicating the closure is posted in the rest area. A temporary concrete barrier wall will remain in place in front of the facility. The rest area facility, ramps and parking lot are closed to the public. This project will extend the ramp into the rest area by 500 feet and the ramp out of the rest area by 2,100 feet. It will also include expanding the truck parking area at the facility by about 10-13 spaces.
REST AREA OPTIONS: While the Troutville Rest Area is closed, southbound I-81 drivers can use the Fairfield Rest Area at mile marker 195 in Rockbridge County or the Radford Rest Area at mile marker 108 in Montgomery County. In addition, the Troutville Weigh Station, located on southbound I-81 at mile marker 149, will have portable toilets and parking will be temporarily available for commercial vehicles.
I-81 BRIDGE DECK REPAIRS – Weather permitting, crews will repair bridge decks on Interstate 81. Between mile markers 138 to 152, right and left lane closures will be in place northbound and southbound during nighttime hours, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Drivers should watch for signs and expect possible delays
I-81 POTHOLE PATCHING OPERATIONS – Weather permitting, crews will patch potholes along southbound and northbound Interstate 81. Mobile right and left lane closures will be in place and moving along northbound and southbound lanes during nighttime hours, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Drivers should watch for moving vehicles and equipment. Expect possible delays.
INTERSTATE 581
ROUTE 581 BRIDGE WORK OVER WILLIAMSON ROAD –On Route 11 (Williamson Road) drivers can expect intermittent and alternating lane closures between the intersections with Rutherford Avenue and Wells Avenue. Intermittent daytime and nighttime lane closures between the intersections above might be required, and will be in place utilizing flagging operations. Any impacts to I-581 will be minimal. Expected completion is the end of 2022.
LANE CLOSURES:
o A left lane closure will be in place on northbound and southbound I-581 from mile marker 0-1, Monday at 7 a.m. through Wednesday at 7 p.m.
o A right lane closure will be in place on northbound and southbound I-581 from mile marker 0-1, Thursday at 7 a.m. through Saturday at 7 p.m.
o A left and center lane closure will be in place on northbound and southbound I-581 from mile marker 0-1, Saturday at 5 p.m. through Sunday at 2 p.m.
- A right lane closure may be in place on Route 11 northbound between the intersections of Rutherford Avenue and Wells Avenue periodically.
- Nighttime left lane closures for both the northbound and southbound directions of Route 11 are possible between the intersections referenced above.
I-581/220 LANE & RAMP CLOSURES FOR PAVING AND MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS IN ROANOKE COUNTY– Weather permitting, crews will be milling and paving along Interstate 81. Right and left lane closures will be in place along northbound and southbound lanes during nighttime hours. Drivers should expect possible delays.
I-581 BRIDGE REPAIRS – Weather permitting, crews will repair bridge decks on Interstate 581. Right, center and left lane closures will be in place northbound and southbound during nighttime hours, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Drivers should watch for signs and expect possible delays. Scheduled traffic impacts include:
- Left or right lane closures may be in place on I-581 northbound from Orange Avenue to Valley View Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Left or right lane closures may be in place on I-581 from Valley View Boulevard to Orange Avenue from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Flagging operations may be in place on Liberty Road NW from Lukens Street NE to Hunt Avenue NW from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
INTERSTATE 77 (CARROLL COUNTY)
I-77 BRIDGE DECK AND MAINTENANCE REPAIRS – Weather permitting, crews will repair bridge decks on Interstate 77. Right and left lane closures may be in place northbound or southbound during nighttime hours, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning. Drivers should watch for signs and expect possible delays.
Right and left lane closures in place on I-77 southbound, mile marker 13.5 to 12.5 over Route 702 and I-77 northbound, mile marker 11.5 to 12.7 over Route 702. Height restrictions are in place at 14’ 6”.
I-77 LANE & RAMP CLOSURES FOR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS IN CARROLL COUNTY– Weather permitting, crews will be milling, paving and performing maintenance along Interstate 77. Right and left lane closures will be in place along northbound and southbound lanes during nighttime hours. Drivers should expect possible delays.
I-77 MOWING, BRUSH REMOVAL & SHOULDER WORK – Weather permitting, crews will remove and clear brush and work on shoulders and slopes along I-77 northbound and southbound from mile marker 0 to 24 during nighttime hours, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following morning. A left lane closure will be in place.
ROANOKE CITY
13th STREET SE IMPROVEMENTS WITH DETOUR – A project to improve a portion of 13th Street SE in Roanoke is underway. Located in a residential neighborhood just east of downtown Roanoke, this project will improve traffic flow and connectivity along 13th Street SE from Tazewell Avenue to Norfolk Avenue. The project entails reconstructing about 0.2-mile of 13th Street as an improved, two-lane roadway with 10.5-foot-wide travel lane and a raised median. A new roadway will extend 13th Street to Norfolk Avenue and the intersection at 13th Street and Wise Avenue will be reconfigured to include a roundabout. Bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and curb and gutter will also be added. Southbound 13th Street traffic has a detour in place using Norfolk Avenue onto 12th Street to Tazewell Avenue. This detour will be in place throughout the duration of this project. Signs will be posted to designate the detour route. Northbound 13th Street will remain open to traffic. Flaggers may be possible and the speed limit through the work zone is 25 mph. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2023.
TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGE: Northbound traffic will be switched to the northbound lane of 13th Street. Southbound traffic will still be detoured around the work zone.
ROANOKE COUNTY
ROUTE 311 AND ROUTE 419 ROUNDABOUT AT HANGING ROCK – A road project to replace the signalized intersection of Route 311 and Route 419 in Roanoke County at Hanging Rock with a roundabout is set to begin. The new roundabout is currently open to traffic. During the remaining construction, lane closures may be in place. Expected completion is the end of 2022. Drivers should expect the following:
LANE CLOSURES: Single lane closure with a flagging operation will be in place on Wise Avenue between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
PAVING: Paving is underway until complete. Drivers should expect lane closures and flagging operations during nighttime hours, 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.
THROUGH NOVEMBER. Even though the new roundabout is now open to traffic, drivers should still expect nighttime lane closures with flaggers between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday around the roundabout for final paving, pavement marking and sign installation.
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY CLOSURE – The Blue Ridge Parkway is repairing slope failures and a culvert failure at mile marker 127.9. A 15-mile stretch of the Parkway, mile marker 121.4 to 136, will be closed to all uses including cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. Detour signs to detour traffic around the Bent Mountain section of the Parkway will be in place. Traffic will be rerouted to Route 220 south to Route 419 north to Route 221 south. Traffic traveling north on the Parkway would be reversed. The detour is expected to be in place until 2023.
BEDFORD COUNTY
ROUTE 608 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT – A bridge replacement on Route 608 is underway. The bridge is located 0.20 mi south from Route 793 (Watson Road) to 2.30 miles north from Route 122 (Moneta Road). The road is closed and a detour is in place. The road is scheduled to reopen in late fall 2023.
ROUTE 221 INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS – A project to improve safety and operations at three signalized intersections is underway. Two intersections are on Route 221 in Bedford County in the Salem District and one is at Route 460 Business (Timberlake Road) and Route 622 (Waterlick Road) in Campbell County in the Lynchburg District. In Bedford County, this project will improve two adjacent signalized intersections in the Forest area on Route 221 at Route 1425 (Graves Mill Road) and at Route 1426 (Gristmill Drive). Most work will be performed during nighttime hours, Monday through Friday, 6 p.m. – 7 a.m. the next morning. Drivers may see shoulder and lane closures during daytime hours on the weekends. The project is expected to be completed in spring 2023.
ROUTE 715 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT – A bridge replacement project over Norfolk Southern Railroad has closed Route 715 (Lowry Road). The bridge is located 0.085 mile south of Norfolk Southern Railroad to 0.048 mile north of Norfolk Southern Railroad on Route 715. Message boards will alert drivers. This replacement has changed the current single lane steel and wooden bridge to a two-lane concrete bridge. A detour is in place. Travelers can use Route 671 (Timber Ridge Road) to Route 221 (Forrest Road). The detour will remain in place until project completion which is scheduled for the end of December 2022.
BOTETOURT COUNTY
ROUTE 11 BUCHANAN BRIDGE PROJECT – A construction project on the Route 11 Bridge in the Town of Buchanan is underway. Water Street is closed for the duration of the project and drivers should expect periodic lane closures with flagging operations to be in place during daytime hours. Message boards are present to alert and update drivers. Expected completion in summer 2023.
ROUTE 1095 (HIGHLAND DRIVE) PIPE FAILURE CLOSURE – Route 1095 (Highland Drive) near its intersection with Sanderson Road is closed until further notice due to a pipe failure. The road is currently impassable, and drivers will need to seek alternate routes to avoid the area such as Murray Court to Richardson. Please adhere to closure signs. The road is expected to be closed approximately or at least through Mid-December 2022.
ROUTE 611 (GREYLEDGE ROAD) – A 1.5 mile section of Route 611 (Greyledge Road) is closed due to flooding that damaged the roadway. Extensive repairs will be needed and a detour will be in place. There is no estimated time for the road to reopen.
CARROLL COUNTY
ROUTE 645 CULVERT REPLACEMENT – Partial removal and demolition of the existing culvert on Route 645 (Stone Mountain Road) is underway. The road will be closed for removal of existing culvert and installation of a new box culvert. A detour will be in place at the intersections of Route 645 and Route 618 and Route 645 and Route 638. Estimated completion is April 2023.
ROUTE 97 AND ROUTE 52 will have operations in place for paving. Expect pilot trucks, flaggers and alternating lane closures with day and nighttime hours.
ROUTE 58 WESTBOUND BRIDGE REPLACEMENT – Work is underway to replace the bridge on Route 58 westbound over Crooked Creek near the Woodlawn area. The bridge is located between the intersections with Route 822 (Fieldview Road) and Route 887 (Glendale Road). Initially, the project will focus on constructing crossovers between the above-mentioned intersections with intermittent and temporary single lane closures in place. These crossovers are temporary during the bridge replacement with single lanes in each direction until the end of the project. Once the crossovers are complete, Route 58 westbound will be temporarily detoured through the left lane of Route 58 eastbound, limiting travel in each direction to a single lane. A right lane closure will be in place traveling westbound and a left lane closure traveling eastbound. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022.
TRAFFIC SHIFT – The right westbound lane is open to traffic through the project. The left lanes of eastbound and westbound will remain closed for median work.
Right lane closures may be in place on Route 58 eastbound between Route 822 (Fieldview Road) and Route 887 (Glendale Road).
CRAIG COUNTY
ROUTE 311 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT OVER MEADOW CREEK – Temporary signals controlling traffic across the bridge will be in place throughout the project. Construction will begin on the northbound side of the bridge and once completed, work will switch to the southbound side. In addition, a section of Route 646 (Allen Street) between Route 650 and Route 311 will be closed during construction and a signed detour will be in place. All traffic will be detoured to Marshall Street and Kanawha Street to access either 311 or the homes located off Allen Street. Speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph in the work zone with a width restriction of 9 feet. Drivers should expect delays and allow extra travel time through the work zone. Weather permitting, the bridge is expected to be open to traffic by the end of 2022.
TRAFFIC SWITCH: Traffic has been switched from using the southbound lane to the northbound lane while work continues. Southbound lanes are closed. Temporary traffic signals will continue to direct traffic and message boards will notify drivers.
FLOYD C18UNTY
FLOYD CHRISTMAS PARADE – The Floyd Christmas Parade will take place on Nov.27 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Route 8 (South) to Route 221 (North) at the stop light turning right onto Route 221 (North), East Main Street to Barberry Road. The lineup will start in the main parking lot of Floyd County High School, will cross Baker Street and then will proceed to Route 8 (South Locust Street).
FRANKLIN COUNTY
ROUTE 834 AND 670 ROUNDABOUT PROJECT – The roundabout project at Route 834 (Brooks Mill Road) and Route 670 (Burnt Chimney Road) is underway. Flaggers will be controlling traffic around the intersection of Route 670 (Burnt Chimney Road) and Route 834 (Brooks Mill Road) on weekdays during the fall and winter months. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph in the work zone. Drivers should expect traffic shifts and new traffic patterns throughout the duration of the project as turn lanes and portions of the new roundabout are being constructed. The overall project is expected to be completed in early 2023.
ROUTE 775 CLOSURE – Route 775 (Iron Ridge Road) is closed to traffic as an emergency closure from Route 697 (Wirtz Road) to Route 220 due to a bridge washout. The road will
GILES COUNTY
RICH CREEK CHRISTMAS PARADE – Old Virginia Avenue will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 5 at approximately 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. for the annual Rich Creek Christmas Parade. The parade route will be from the intersection of Old Virginia Avenue and Spruce Street to the intersection of Old Virginia Avenue and Woodland Road.
HENRY COUNTY
ROUTE 220 BUSINESS NORTHBOUND BRIDGE REPLACEMENT OVER REED CREEK – The Route 220 Business northbound bridge replacement over Reed Creek is underway. It is located on Route 220 Business over Reed Creek approximately 0.4 miles east of the Route 220 and Route 220 Business intersection. The bridge work will require the northbound bridge being restricted to one lane of travel across the bridge throughout the duration of the project. The bridge will have a width restriction in place of 13’ 6” and lane closures will be in place. Message boards will be in place to alert drivers. Expected completion date is late summer 2024.
PATRICK COUNTY
ROUTE 58 LOVER’S LEAP PROJECT – Construction is underway on the Lover’s Leap area of Route 58. Current work includes clearing and grading activities on the west and east portions of the project. While traffic impacts are limited in the east section, flagging operations may be in place in the west section. A 45 mph speed reduction is in place on Route 58 for the entire length of the project. Message boards are in place to alert traffic and drivers should expect delays. Estimated completion date is May 2026.
BLASTING NOTICE: Blasting operations are underway on the project. Intermittent blasting will be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays and continue at various locations on the project through summer 2025. The first blasting will impact traffic in the vicinity of Dehart Botanical Gardens, approximately 1.7 miles east of the Lovers Leap Mountain overlook and Fred Clifton Park. For blasting that is close to Route 58, traffic in both directions may be blocked for approximately 15-20 minutes at a time. Drivers and residents along the Route 58 corridor should expect loud noise and allow extra travel time. Electronic message boards will be used to inform drivers of scheduled blasting that will impact traffic.
DETOUR SIGNS: While detour signs in a fluorescent pink color are in place, these do not designate a permanent or scheduled detour. The signed detour route is suitable for all traffic during incidents including tractor-trailers and other large vehicles. These signs are used for incident detours only.
PULASKI COUNTY
PAVING OPERATIONS – Weather permitting, crews will pave, patch and repair pavement on various routes. Lane closures may be in place and flaggers may control traffic at times during daylight hours. Drivers should watch for signs and expect possible delays.
