Expect overnight delays on I-81 near Staunton starting Sunday night (April 14) for travel lane shifts

STAUNTON — Motorists can expect overnight delays on northbound and southbound Interstate 81 near Staunton between mile marker 221 and 225. Contractors will use signs and concrete barriers to shift travel lanes to the outside (toward the right shoulder). This work is scheduled to take place during nighttime hours from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. beginning Sunday night, April 14, and last for two weeks.  

Each step could take two to three days and is expected to be performed in the following order:

• Widening the northbound and southbound I-81 right lane by four feet, temporarily creating a 16-foot-wide right lane.
• Shifting the northbound and southbound I-81 left lane over four feet, restoring both lanes to original 11-feet width but four-feet farther from the median, into the existing shoulder.

The travel-lane shifts will allow contractors to add a third northbound and southbound lane to I-81 between exit 221 (I-64 interchange) and exit 225 (Route 262 north). Widening will take place to the inside (toward the median) and will include roadway, drainage and median work. Shifting I-81 traffic to the outside utilizes existing strengthened shoulders and shoulder widening constructed in fall 2023 through early spring 2024.

Signs and digital message boards will advise motorists of the traffic shifts. All work is weather permitting.

The project is part of the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP), which aims to improve safety, increase reliability and foster economic growth along the 325-mile corridor in Virginia. Additional information about the program is at Improve81.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

Obtain traffic alerts and traveler information by dialing 511 or visiting 511Virginia.org. For other assistance, call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

The VDOT Staunton District is on Facebook and X (Twitter). Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, Flickr, X and YouTube. The VDOT Web page is at https://vdot.virginia.gov/.