Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, May 24 to discuss and accept comments on the design for the widening of I-81 through Staunton. VDOT will present a design that incorporates community feedback from the preliminary design meetings last fall.
The project will widen the interstate from two lanes to three lanes in each direction between Exit 221, the I-64 interchange, and Exit 225 for Woodrow Wilson Parkway. You can view the project drawings here and make any comments you have in person at the meeting or via the form at the bottom of this page by June 3.
After more than a decade of pushing back against destructive mega-widening plans for I-81, we do not readily support plans to add extensive pavement to the interstate. But, this improvement project was identified among others as part of the I-81 Corridor Improvement Study back in 2018. If you remember, the Alliance supported that final plan because the study’s process identified targeted solutions to address specific problems, and it involved extensive community input. You can look back at the justification for the proposed Staunton improvement in this diagram taken from the plan (also pictured below).
If you travel this stretch of I-81, please take a moment to share your thoughts with VDOT – your local expertise and experience is important to ensure this project is the best it can be for our community, land, and water.