New lanes open on I-81 near I-581 interchange just in time for Thanksgiving travel

This has been part of a widening project in the works for several years

ROANOKE, Va – Just in time for the holiday travel season, two long-term road closures in our area have opened new lanes of traffic.

New lanes are open on I-81 near the I-581 interchange.

This has been part of a widening project in the works for several years.

The ramp extension on Route 419 in front of Tanglewood Mall is also proceeding—that new lane provides a longer ramp for people heading south on Route 220.

A VDOT spokesperson says this should help with Thanksgiving traffic, and you can even use VDOT’S website for help.

“So if you want to plan ahead go online, take a look at our travel map and it’ll tell you when you should probably avoid travel or if you can, maybe change your plans to avoid congestion as much as possible,” said VDOT spokesman, Jason Bond.

VDOT is also lifting some of its temporary lane closures to make travel easier this weekend.