The Virginia Department of Transportation is working to reduce roadside surprises and delays for motorists with its launch of safety service patrols on several portions of interstate highways in western Virginia.
The primary focus of the Safety Service Patrol is incident management and emergency response. This includes detecting incidents and disruptions in traffic, minimizing incident duration, clearing obstruction and debris from the roadway, establishing temporary traffic control for emergency responders and providing scene assistance as needed.
The white Safety Service Patrol trucks are equipped with arrow boards to help direct traffic around the road incident or hazard.
VDOT’s Northwest Regional Operations located in the Staunton Traffic Operations Center will oversee the service in the Staunton and Culpeper districts. Operations will begin on or before Memorial Day for portions of Interstate 64, I-66 and I-81 in Albemarle, Augusta, Shenandoah, Frederick, Warren, and Rockingham counties.
VDOT’s Southwestern Regional Operations Center will oversee the service in the Salem and Bristol Districts, including Washington, Wythe, Carroll, Montgomery, Roanoke and Botetourt counties. Limited service will begin in support of Memorial Day travel for portions of I-81 in Botetourt, Roanoke, Montgomery and Washington counties, I-581/Route 220 Expressway in Roanoke, the I-81/I-77 overlap around Wytheville and a portion of I-77 in Carroll County.
Staunton/Culpeper Districts
On I-64, the Safety Service Patrol will cover mile marker 87 at the I-81 interchange in Augusta County to mile marker 124 at Route 250 in Charlottesville in Albemarle County. From mile marker 87 to mile marker 107 (Afton Mountain area) the hours of operation will be seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. From mile marker 107 to mile marker 124 (Charlottesville Area Albemarle County) the hours of operation will be Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Initial hours are subject to change based upon operational demands).
On I-81, the Safety Service Patrol will cover mile markers 235 at Route 256 in Augusta County to mile marker 264 at Route 211 near Rockingham/Shenandoah County line. Hours of operation will be seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Initial hours are subject to change based upon operational demands).
Additionally on I-81, the service will cover mile markers 298 at Route 11 in Strasburg in Shenandoah County to mile marker 323 at Route 669 in Frederick County near the West Virginia state line, which includes a segment of I-66, mile marker 0 at the I-81 interchange in Warren County to mile marker 13 at the Linden interchange near Warren/Fauquier County Line. Hours of operation will be 7 seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Initial hours are subject to change based upon operational demands).
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