ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer travel, and with it comes road construction across Virginia.
Several major projects are underway or planned around southwest and central Virginia, including ramp work on Interstate 581, congestion reduction efforts along U.S. Route 220, and new turn lanes on U.S. Route 460. Additional city projects are also expected around Roanoke and Lynchburg.
One of the largest ongoing efforts is the widening of Interstate 81 just outside Salem, a project that began about four years ago.
Juliana Chester, who works at Wing Etc. near Exit 137 in Salem, said the construction has affected her daily commute between Salem and Roanoke.
“I work in Salem, and I live in Roanoke, so I’m back and forth quite frequently, and I take 81,” Chester said. “The traffic has been pretty disruptive, and it sucks to hear that it’s going to continue on.”
The Virginia Department of Transportation’s website says the project has about five years remaining. Chester makes the drive twice a day for work and described frequent slowdowns through the work zone.
“Getting on here, it’s just so congested all the time,” she said. “There’s always some sort of cones up, and you have to figure out how to get back on.”
With traffic patterns changing, the area can feel like an obstacle course, she added. At times, lane closures have narrowed the interstate down to a single lane.
“It’s definitely hard,” Chester said. “I don’t like it at night, because I feel like driving on the highway with trucks at night is hard enough, so having lane closures is not fun.”
VDOT has said the goal of the work is to improve safety and traffic flow. Chester said she understands the long-term benefits, but she hopes drivers see fewer day-to-day disruptions as the project continues.
“The long-term effects would be nice,” she said. “I just wish there was a better way to kind of make the process smoother.”
For now, motorists across our hometowns should expect shifting traffic patterns, periodic lane closures and delays as summer road work continues on interstates and major routes.
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