Hurricane Helene roadway recovery efforts continue in Southwest Virginia

BRISTOL – Following the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which pummeled the region with heavy rains and high winds on Friday, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Bristol District has worked diligently to re-open approximately 500 roads and removed 11,000 cubic yards of debris.

VDOT crews from the region, contract crews and approximately 200 VDOT employees from around the state have made great strides but a significant amount of work is left to accomplish.

Approximately 75 roads remain impacted, with two being primary highways. Closures are due to downed trees blocking roadways and damages caused by flood waters.

Route 16 near the Smyth/Grayson County line reopened today following pipe repairs.

Main closures include:

• Route 21 in Grayson County near Route 729 and the Town of Independence is closed due to a slide. It is anticipated to take 2-3 weeks to make needed repairs.
• Route 58 through the Town of Damascus is currently closed to through traffic due to recovery efforts.
• Route 58 is closed between the intersection of Route 91 at Damascus and Feather Camp Road in the Konnarock area due to a significant road washout along Route 58.
• Two bridges along Route 725 in the Taylor’s Valley Community are currently closed due to road washouts adjacent to the bridges. Crews are planning the installation of a temporary bridge near the intersection of Routes 725 and 726 within the week.
• Three bridges were washed away in the storm:
  • The Route 1212 bridge in the Town of Damascus
  • The Route 800 St. Claire’s Creek Road bridge in Smyth County
  • The Route 859 (Grassy Ridge Road) bridge in the Konnarock area of Washington County.
• Five large pipes are washed out in Grayson County; three on Route 783 (Helton Creek Lane) and two on Route 749 (Cabin Creek).

Workers continue efforts to establish access to routes where trees are downed or where roads were flooded and need to be assessed before reopening.

To check the conditions of a route, use VDOT’s 511Virginia.org website to review the “road conditions table” under the text views tab.