Speed limit to increase on stretch of I-64 in Albemarle County

The speed limit on a 12-mile section of Interstate 64 in western Albemarle County will increase from 65 to 70 miles per hour on Thursday, Dec. 19. The new speed zone will run from just east of the Greenwood Station Road overpass (Route 690) at milepost 106.1 to just west of the Route 29 interchange at milepost 117.7.

The speed limit change was made following a VDOT engineering study on the section of I-64 between milepost 105 near Crozet and milepost 117 just west of Charlottesville. The study includes a traffic engineering evaluation that assesses whether vehicles can safely travel the highway at the higher speed and an analysis of crash data from previous years and information from law enforcement agencies. The study found that the speed limit increase to 70 miles per hour is suitable for that section of the highway.

According to the Code of Virginia the speed limit increase will become effective when signs displaying the new speed limit are installed. All the signs are scheduled to be installed on Thursday, weather permitting. VDOT and the Virginia State Police caution that, regardless of the posted speed limit, motorists should drive at a speed suitable for the road conditions at the time, including traffic volume and weather.

Motorists should check VDOT’s 511 travel website, www.511virginia.org, before leaving on a trip. The website is updated in real time with weather and road conditions for all highways in Virginia. Once on the road VDOT’s 511 mobile app provides real-time traffic and weather information for both iPhone and Android platforms. Travelers can also call 511 from any telephone in Virginia for real-time information on traffic and road conditions.