Alleghany County: Route 220 closed at least two weeks for slope repairs

A slope failure along Route 220 (Hot Springs Road) in Alleghany County will take at least two weeks to repair. Until the work is complete, a 16-mile stretch of Route 220 through Alleghany and Bath counties will be closed to through traffic. The slope failure is just north of the intersection of Route 684 (Dunbrack Road), between Covington in Alleghany County and Hot Springs in Bath County.

Residents and business owners can access their properties by approaching from the appropriate side of the work zone. Signs and variable message boards will direct through traffic on two separate detour routes.

• Personal vehicles:
  Northbound drivers will follow Route 687 (Jackson River Road) north and then Route 615 (Main Street) east to return to Route 220.
  Southbound drivers will follow Route 615 west and then Route 687 south to return to Route 220.
• Commercial trucks:
  Northbound drivers will follow Interstate 64 east to exit 29, then Route 42 (Forty Two Road/Cowpasture River Road) north and Route 39 (Mountain Valley Road) west to return to Route 220.
  Southbound drivers will follow Route 39 east, then Route 42 south and I-64 west to return to Route 220.

The Virginia Department of Transportation and its emergency contractors will excavate the area affected by the slope failure, which is about 150 feet in length. Crews will install soil nails to stabilize the slope, then rebuild the roadbed and roadway. Traditional repair methods could take several months, but the soil-nail approach should allow Route 220 to reopen in a few weeks. All work is weather permitting.

Virginia traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at http://www.511Virginia.org.

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 Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.

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