Drive safely, Virginians, for Fourth of July fun, travel: VDOT offers safety tips

As Virginians hit the road to fireworks, cookouts and events to celebrate the Fourth of July, the Virginia Department of Transportation is helping to ease travel and reminding Virginians to have fun responsibly by driving safely.

VDOT will suspend many highway work zones and lifting temporary lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Thursday, July 3, until noon on Monday, July 7.

While lane closures will be lifted in most locations, motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place. Check VDOT’s Travel Advisories for the latest travel alerts in your area and around the state.

Additionally, VDOT offers several resources to help plan travel ahead of time.

VDOT’s free mobile 511 app offers information about construction, traffic, incidents and congestion as well as access to traffic cameras, weather, electric vehicle charging stations and more. By calling 511 from any phone in Virginia, use 511’s “speak ahead” option for hands-free and eyes-free audible traffic alerts for incidents and construction along your route. Traffic information is also available online.

The 511 Virginia website also includes a travel trends map for the Fourth of July holiday period, showing peak congestion periods anticipated on Virginia interstates during the upcoming holiday travel period. While it cannot precisely predict when congestion will occur this year, it can help motorists avoid travel when traffic has historically moved the slowest. Using the menu at the top of 511.vdot.virginia.gov, click “Holiday Travel” to select the map.

Find directional schedules for the reversible I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes, and information for the I-495 Express Lanes online.

• Travel to Virginia Beach — Peninsula traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) during construction. If  traveling to Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
• Travel to Outer Banks — Traffic to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT as an alternative to the HRBT to save time during construction. From I-664 south, take I-64 west (exit 15, Chesapeake/Virginia Beach) to exit 291B (Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168)/Great Bridge/Nags Head). Continue south on Route 168 to the Outer Banks.

Additional tips for safely navigating the roadways during the holiday travel period:

• Put your phone down and do not drive distracted.
• If you plan to drink, have a designated driver. If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Always wear your seat belt — it’s your best defense against impaired and distracted drivers.
• Use caution as more pedestrians and cyclists are outdoors enjoying the holiday weekend.
• On long drives, consider taking breaks at one of the more than 40 VDOT rest stops along the highways.
• Empty the trash inside your vehicles at the rest stops. Do not toss trash out of your vehicles on the roadways.
• Obey the “Move Over” law, requiring motorists to move over one lane, if possible, for all vehicles with flashing lights, flares, or warning signs stopped on the side of the road. If drivers are unable to move over, they should reduce their speed and use caution.