Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is ready to share preliminary design plans for the first portion of Interstate 81 widening in our region associated with the Corridor Improvement Plan and they want to hear what you think.
They will host an informational meeting and accept comments on the design on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, 4 – 6 p.m. in the VDOT Staunton District Auditorium at 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401 (map).
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. This 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 process involved extensive community input and targeted solutions to address identified problems. You can look back at the justification for the project in this diagram taken from the plan (also pictured above).
This is the first time we’re seeing the proposed design, and since pavement solutions like road widening should be a last resort for improving safety, it’s important to get it right. Please take a moment to chime in and let VDOT know your view on whether the plan addresses safety and congestion issues with minimal impact to natural and cultural resources.
If you can’t make the meeting, you can review the design here and submit written comments by September 3, 2021 to Mr. Scott Alexander, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029. You may also email your comments to Scott.Alexander@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Please reference “I-81 Staunton Widening Comment” in the subject line.
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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