Route 33 over Swift Run Gap to reopens

Updated: Friday, 8:08 p.m. Route 33 (Spotswood Trail), one of the only highways connecting Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, is open to traffic. The Virginia Department of Transportation completed cleanup and stabilization of slopes on the east side of the pass across Swift Run Gap and opened the road at 6:30 p.m.

Mudslides in the Shenandoah National Park closed the road early Thursday morning when slopes along the highway gave way after torrential downpours. VDOT crews cleared mud and debris from the road and shoulders at five locations along Route 33 on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Late Friday afternoon, 38 secondary roads remain closed in VDOT’s Culpeper District. There are 24 roads closed in Greene County, 6 in Madison and 6 in Albemarle County as well as one each in Fluvanna and Orange counties. Some of those roads are still under water and crews cannot make damage assessments until the floodwaters recede.

VDOT crews are making repairs as quickly as possible, with priority given to roads and bridges that provide the only access to residents on the far side of the damaged structure. One major secondary route, Route 810 (Dyke Road) in Greene County, is heavily damaged in several locations and some sections of the road will be closed through the weekend.

 

Updated: Friday, 8:29 a.m. Route 33 (Spotswood Trail) remains closed due to mudslides in five locations across Swift Run Gap in Greene County. The slopes gave way early Thursday morning after torrential downpours drenched the area.

Crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation suspended cleanup operations early Thursday evening due to concerns for more mudslides when additional storms passed through the county. The team will return to the mountain at 8 a.m. to continue cleanup operations and stabilize the slopes.

VDOT crews worked overnight Thursday in Greene County to continue making repairs, with priority given to roads and bridges that provide the only access to residents on the far side of the damaged structure.

 

Original Post: Thursday, 6:04 p.m. Route 33 (Spotswood Trail) will be closed until at least Friday morning as cleanup from mudslides on the mountain pass continues. The road, which traverses Shenandoah National Park across Swift Run Gap in Greene County, was closed early Thursday after the slopes gave way in five locations, pushing mud and debris across the road.

Crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation worked all day to remove the mud, repair damage and restore roadside ditches to route the water off the roadway. In several places water continues to flow from the slide areas, which heightens concerns about additional slides.

There was significant damage across Greene County from the storm, which the National Weather Service radar estimated dropped seven to nine inches of rain overnight, with the highest rainfall in the west near the Blue Ridge Mountains. VDOT has not been able to complete a damage assessment of all roads and bridges since floodwaters still cover some of the structures and roadways.

Flooding was also reported in Albemarle and Madison counties, although it was not as widespread or severe. VDOT crews will continue working overnight to make repairs in Greene County, with priority given to roads and bridges that provide the only access to residents on the far side of the damaged structures.

With more rain in the forecast for the next several days, VDOT and other emergency response agencies remind drivers never to drive through water flowing across a roadway. Six inches of moving water is enough to knock a person off their feet; 12 inches will sweep a car off the roadway. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

Drivers should check www.511virginia.org or the 511 mobile app for updated information about the road closures and follow @VaDOTCULP on Twitter for updates.