The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on the extension of three ramps (merge lanes) at the Mount Sidney safety rest areas on northbound and southbound Interstate 81 in Augusta County.
The open house meeting will be held between 4 and 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at the Weyers Cave Community Center, 682 Weyers Cave Road, Weyers Cave, VA 24486.
Residents may come in anytime during the meeting hours and discuss the project on a one-on-one basis with VDOT officials and designers. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or within 10 days after the meeting date to David Robinson, P.E., Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029. Oral comments can be recorded at the meeting with the assistance of a court reporter.
The project enhances safety and reduces congestion in the area of the rest areas near I-81 mile marker 232. Three ramps (merge lanes) will be extended to give vehicles enough space to speed up or slow down as needed to successfully merge with traffic.
The three ramps will be extended by about 1,200 feet:
- Deceleration lane (off-ramp) into the southbound I-81 rest area
- Acceleration lane (on-ramp) from the southbound I-81 rest area
- Acceleration lane (on-ramp) from the northbound I-81 rest area
As part of this project, the Route 775 (Buttermilk Road) bridge over I-81 will be replaced. The bridge was built in 1966 with three concrete piers that do not allow room for additional I-81 lanes. The new bridge will have a single pier in the median, allowing space for the ramp extensions. Part of Route 775 will be closed so the new bridge can be built in the same location, saving money and construction time.
The Mount Sidney Rest Areas project is part of the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP). The $3 billion CIP includes 65 construction projects as well as operational improvements along I-81 in Virginia to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and unlock the region for further economic growth. More information is available online, as well as interactive maps, videos, podcasts and details about upcoming and current projects.
Major I-81 CIP projects in the VDOT Staunton District include:
- Staunton-area widening (under construction)
- Strasburg-area southbound widening (under construction)
- Weyers Cave truck-climbing lanes (under construction)
- Harrisonburg-area widening (construction starts in early 2026)
- Winchester-area widening (construction starts in 2028)
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Rebecca Barnabi
