Detour trailblazing signs have been installed on Interstate 81, westbound Interstate 64 and Route 262 (Woodrow Wilson Parkway) in the Staunton area.
As part of a research study led by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the signs are intended to help guide motorists during traffic incidents on I-81, when a directional closure is necessary and traffic must detour. The signs may also be used for planned I-81 work requiring an overnight temporary interstate closure and detour during critical work zone operations.
The green-and-white signs read “Emergency Route A” or “Emergency Route C.” Digital message boards along I-81 or westbound I-64 would alert motorists of a closure on I-81 and advise them whether to follow Route A (for a southbound closure) or Route C (for a northbound closure). The emergency routes will direct traffic onto and around Route 262, the Staunton-area bypass, between I-81 exit 220 and exit 225.
The I-81 trailblazing signs are part of a VTRC/VDOT study to determine efficiencies of using permanently installed emergency routing signs for traffic management. The study will evaluate traffic incident data as well as traffic volumes and speeds before and after installation of the signs.
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Rebecca Barnabi
