Final round of continuous single lane closures begins on Sunday night for Interstate 81 southbound bridge work near Shenandoah Caverns

STAUNTON – The Virginia Department of Transportation will perform critical bridge deck rehabilitation work on the southbound bridge over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, just south of exit 269 near Shenandoah Caverns. This location is north of New Market in Shenandoah County.

Single lane closures will occur continuously over approximately 72 hours beginning on Sunday night, May 11 and stretching to the evening on Tuesday, May 13. This will be around-the-clock with work during nighttime and daytime hours. All work is weather permitting. Trucks with wide loads will not be allowed through the work zone and must find alternate routes.

Virginia State Police will be stationed within the work zone and the Town of New Market will provide law enforcement for traffic management.

• Southbound I-81, mile marker 269:
  Left lane closed: Sunday, May 11, 5 p.m. to Tuesday night.

Depending on work progress and temperatures, the lane closure may extend into Wednesday morning.

The bridge concrete work must be completed within a specific temperature range to ensure the quality and durability of the repair. The extended work hours take advantage of optimal temperatures while maximize repair progress prior to holiday and summer vacation traffic.

The work on the bridge right lane was successfully completed prior to noon on Tuesday, May 6. That work began on Sunday evening, May 4 and featured the day and night continuous single lane closures. Currently on the bridge deck, motorists should expect the lane height of the completed right lane to differ from the still-to-be completed left lane. As VDOT completes the southbound deck work, crews will survey the bridge deck elevations and precisely control the placement of the concrete surface needed for a smooth and safe ride.

After May 20, work will continue only during the warmer nighttime hours, avoiding the need for further daytime lane closures.

Work is anticipated for the northbound bridge with work hours and traffic restrictions to be announced in the coming weeks.

The I-81 northbound and southbound bridges over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River have received repeated temporary deck patching. The patching cannot sustain permanent levels of interstate traffic and is approaching the end of its service life. Funding for permanent deck rehabilitation work became available in spring 2025. Executing this critical bridge deck rehabilitation now will extend the bridge service life, avoiding more extensive and disruptive repairs.

The Staunton District manages approximately 2,400 major structures including bridges and box culverts. Additionally, the Staunton District manages approximately 942.26 lane-miles of I-81.

Updates will be posted on the news section of the VDOT website at  https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/.

Updates will also be posted on the Staunton X account https://x.com/VaDOTStaunton and Staunton Group Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/vdotstaunton

For updated traffic alerts and traveler information, dial 511 or visit https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can assist with reporting road hazards, asking transportation questions, or getting information related to Virginia’s roads. Call 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623) or use its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov. Agents are available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.

The VDOT Staunton District is on Facebook and X (Twitter). Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube.

The VDOT Web page is located at https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/.

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

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