Home Emergency bridge work closing portion of Interstate 81 near I-66 interchange
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Emergency bridge work closing portion of Interstate 81 near I-66 interchange

Chris Graham

interstate 81VDOT will close the right lane of northbound Interstate 81 about 3 p.m. today (Tuesday, January 24) for emergency bridge-deck repairs at mile marker 299.8. Following an inspection this morning, VDOT made the determination to proceed with repairs to the I-81 northbound bridge over Route 840 (Water Plant Road) in Warren County near the Shenandoah County line.

Expect delays on northbound I-81 as a result of the right lane closure, which is expected to remain in place through 7 a.m.Wednesday morning. Motorists may consider using Route 11 as an alternate route by taking exit 298 (Strasburg), following Route 11 north and rejoining I-81 at exit 302 at Middletown. Drivers who need to access Interstate 66 can then follow I-81 south to exit 300.

A left-lane closure beginning Wednesday afternoon or evening will allow crews to finish the I-81 northbound bridge repairs. VDOT will release additional information when it is available. All work is weather permitting.

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

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at511Virginia.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 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 www.VirginiaDOT.org.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].