VDOT wants your input on new I-81 widening project
SALEM, Va. โ Before the orange barrels go up, VDOT wants your input on a major long term project. VDOT is hosting its first virtual public hearing in this part of the state Tuesday, Feb. 9 to discuss widening a five-mile stretch of I-81 in Salem. This is the first widening project that is part of the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program, a $2 billion package funded by the Virginia General Assembly. This new project will connect directly to the stretch of two miles that is already under construction for another widening project. For more information on the project and the link to the virtual public hearing, click here.
Two tractor trailers overturned on I-77 due to high wind
Wind has blown over trees and overturned two tractor-trailer on I-77 in Carroll CountyCARROLL CO., Va. โ UPDATEThis crash has been cleared. ORIGINAL STORYOne lane of northbound I-77 is closed in Carroll County. The Virginia Department of Transportation says the wind is gusting up to 50 mph, which has caused two tractor trailers to overturn and has blow over trees. Nearby traffic cameras show traffic is backed up near mile marker 2.7. VDOT says slow down, use caution and expect delays.
โFolks should avoid travelingโ: VDOT prepares for winter storm
VDOT crews clocked in for 12-hour shifts Saturday evening in anticipation of the nightโs winter weather. Multiple inches of snow are forecast for Southwest Virginia, and VDOT spokesperson Jason Bond told 10 News the conditions will likely be hard for the crews. Really, folks should avoid traveling.โVDOT will focus on interstates and main routes first, which means it could be a while before some neighborhood streets are cleared. โSnow stopping and restarting again will pull us back onto the main roads so we can continue making multiple passes over those routes,โ Bond said. For a look at current road conditions throughout Virginia, click on this link.
Whatโs News for Today: Wednesday, December 30, 2020
The annual police effort is going on through New Yearโs Day to help curb alcohol-related traffic deaths. During last yearโs Thanksgiving to New Yearโs holiday period, nearly one-third, or 32 percent, of all traffic deaths in Virginia involved drunk drivers. You have a few more days to give your thoughts on the Route 24 corridor between Brookneal Highway (Route 501/Route 24 split) on the west, and Red House Road on the east. The Central Virginia Planning District Commission (CVPDC) in partnership with Campbell County and the Virginia Department of Transportation, is looking for input on potential improvements. You should expect minor delays & use caution while traveling through the work zone.
Wet weather causes challenges for holiday travelers
ROANOKE, Va. โ While there may be fewer people traveling this year due to the pandemic, the weather is adding another challenge to the mix. Virginia Department of Transportation sent crews home to prepare for potential freezing Thursday night and into the weekend. โDonโt take for granted that roads are wet,โ Jason Bond, the spokesperson for VDOT, said. โWhen those temperatures start to fall this can turn into a really icy and slick situation.โBond said bridges and overpasses are the main icy zones to look out for. โIf I got snowed in here in Virginia it wouldnโt be the end of the world.
Virginia Department of Transportation increases budget for 2020-2021 winter season
LYNCHBURG, Va. โ VDOT is budgeting $211 million for snow and ice removal this winter season โ an increase from last year. The department has more than 690-tons of salt and sand along with 2.1 million gallons of brine for roadways. A VDOT spokesperson says theyโre preparing for any situation. โWe are always receiving more materials to help us out throughout the season. The commonwealth has about 128,000 miles of roads and bridgesVDOT says full mobilization for a major storm costs about $11 million per day.
How VDOT plans to keep workers safe during winter months
ROANOKE, Va. โ As winter weather made its first appearance Monday, crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) were looking ahead to the changes in store this winter to keep staff members safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. While VDOT workers will still be working around the clock this season to make sure roads are clear, they are required to follow best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19. VDOT officials say it may take a little longer to get certain roads clear, but staff will still be working as quickly as possible despite the changes. โSo when weโre doing winter weather, we might have some extra time, a little bit of extra time when the drivers exchange vehicles, and theyโre doing everything safely; theyโre wearing masksโ VDOT spokesperson Sandy Myers said. VDOT has been working with the Department of Health to establish these guidelines.
Henry County man pushes for road safety after tragic find on his property
HENRY COUNTY, Va. โ A heartbreaking discovery in Henry County is amplifying the push for a safer road. With โno dumpingโ signs above him, Chipper Johnson was checking for trash on his property along Chestnut Knob Road last Sunday when he noticed a silver car entrapped by trees. In 2003, shortly after buying their property, the Johnsons found the embankment and deemed it dangerous. โWhen it gets foggy up there, at least you got something to judge outside the road by," he said. However, Johnson said about four school buses go down the road every day.
Tractor-trailer crash closes all I-81 southbound lanes in Botetourt County
BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. โ A crash has closed all I-81 southbound lanes in Botetourt County, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Authorities say the crash happened around mile marker 158. As of 7:39 a.m., all southbound lanes remain closed. Stay with 10 News as this breaking news story continues to develop.
Two seriously hurt in US-460 crash in Lynchburg
Published: October 23, 2020, 9:47 am Updated: October 23, 2020, 10:12 amLYNCHBURG, Va. โ UPDATEThree people are in the hospital after police say two cars overturned on US-460W in Lynchburg. Authorities say two of the people have serious injuries as a result of the accident. ORIGINAL STORYA crash has closed US-460 in Lynchburg, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Authorities say the crash happened near US-29S. As of 9:30 a.m., all westbound lanes are closed.
VDOT to cut wait times at stoplights, improve safety on Route 220
Thatโs exactly what the Virginia Department of Transportation is hoping to do for drivers on Route 220. VDOT spokesperson Jason Bond said the project will cost $16 million, funded by state and federal funding. The project will cut down wait times at traffic lights by 20 percent and reduce crashes by 15 to 20 percent. โTraffic congestion is expected to constrain future growth and travel along the Route 220 corridor from Roanoke to Martinsville," said Bond. You can also click on each individual picture on that main page to give input on each of the seven intersections.
All south lanes on I-81 in Montgomery County closed due to tractor trailer crash
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, all south lanes on I-81 in Montgomery County are closed due to a tractor trailer crash near mile marker 120. Traffic is being diverted off at exit 132. The on ramp at exit 128 and 132 are blocked. As of right now there is no indication of when the lanes will open back up.
Roanoke police light up downtown parking lots following last weekends firefight
ROANOKE, VA. The City of Roanoke is shining a whole lot of light, hoping the newly brightened night sky keeps crime away. [A rough week: Roanokes gun violence task force meets as city sees 7 shootings]Roanoke Police borrowed three portable light towers from the Virginia Department of Transportation. Theyre lights youd usually see on roadside construction projects. Instead, theyre lighting up downtown parking lots that have been problematic. The lights are a direct response to the firefight in the in the parking lots on the corner of Church and Williamson about a week ago.
Flash flooding closes roads across Southwest, Central Virginia
ROANOKE, Va. โ Heavy rain Wednesday has led to many road closures across Virginia. In Roanoke, both lanes of Orange Avenue NE are closed between Hollins Rd and Plantation Rd due to flooding. Police are asking drivers to avoid the area if possible. The Virginia Department of Transportation has a list of numerous closures that are caused by flooding, downed trees or other reasons. Click here to see the list of which roads are currently closedIn Botetourt County, evacuations are underway as a precautionary measure.
VDOT asks for feedback on US-460 improvements in Roanoke area
SALEM, Va. The Virginia Department of Transportation is asking for feedback on improvements to US-460 in Roanoke and Roanoke County. Officials are conducting an online survey in hopes to get some input on potential improvements along the portion of US-460 that goes from Williamson Road in Roanoke and Route 220 Alternate or Cloverdale Road in Roanoke County. Instead of holding an in-person meeting as originally planned, VDOT has invited drivers to learn more about the proposed changes by watching a video presentation and taking part in an online survey by June 30. The goal of the study is to look into safety improvements and changes that will ease traffic flow. The portion of US-460 VDOT is focusing on averages 40,000 vehicles per day.
Christiansburg among Virginia DMV centers to reopen
RICHMOND, Va. โ The Virginia Department of Transportation announced that itโs reopening four service centers for customers. Christiansburg, Farmville, Waynesboro and Woodstock are now open, by appointment only. Virginians have booked more than 196,000 appointments via DMVโs new appointment system since its launch on May 13, according to the Department of Transportation. Originally, 11 centers were reopened when Virginia entered Phase One. Now, 27 centers are open for customers across the state.
All lanes of Route 460 in Giles County closed
All lanes of Route 460 in Giles County remain closed following a mudslide that collapsed portions of the road and damaged a retaining wall. As of Monday afternoon, VDOT does not have a timetable for reopening the road, but said it will likely be weeks. If youโre driving to West Virginia from Roanoke, Blacksburg you will need to take Interstate 81 to Wytheville and detour onto northbound Interstate 77. The Virginia Department of Transportation expects this to be a long-term closure possibly lasting weeks. An exact time for reopening has not been established.
High water, fallen trees causing road closures
Published: May 23, 2020, 8:45 am Updated: May 23, 2020, 10:01 amROANOKE, Va. Police in South Boston have closed U. S. Highway 58 at the intersection of U. S. Highway 501 due to high water. A detour is in place using U. S. Highway 360. An alternate route is 460 west to Princeton to Interstate 77, then Wolf Creek Road to Narrows. In Franklin County, part of Route 116 is closed in the Coopers Cove area because part of the road collapsed. The lane closure is about 1.5 miles east of Windridge Parkway and one mile west of Coopers Cove Road.
List of flooded, closed roads across Southwest, Central Virginia
ROANOKE, Va. โ Days of heavy rain have led to many road closures across Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation has a list of these numerous closures that are caused by flooding, downed trees or other reasons. Click here to see the list of which roads are currently closed[Flooding closes roads throughout Roanoke]
VDOT spends Thursday prepping roads for snowy weather
ROANOKE, Va. โ Before snow started falling in Southwest Virginia, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) took steps to make everyoneโs drive safer. Every major highway in VDOTโs Salem Region received a coating of brine by the early afternoon. Additional trucks also laid down salt on some roads. The main concern for VDOT is not the snow, but ice and slush that could form on freezing roads later in the night. โWith these low temperatures, we can see moisture come in right around rush hour and overnight," said Jason Bond of VDOT.
Construction to widen I-81 in Roanoke County to start in spring 2020
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. โ Construction to widen Interstate 81 in Roanoke County is set to start this spring, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The $27.3 million contract was awarded at a meeting last week in Richmond to Branch Civil Inc., a Roanoke construction firm. VDOT claims that about 70,000 vehicles use this portion of I-81 every day, making it the most heavily traveled portion of I-81 in Virginia. Drivers can expect two lanes of traffic to remain open on I-81 during the majority of the project. There is a tendency sometimes for drivers to slow down when they encounter a barricade wall,โ Bond said.
10th Street reconstruction in Roanoke reaches final stages
ROANOKE, Va. โ After years of construction, the 10th Street improvement project is nearly done. The stretch of 10th Street between Orange Ave. and Williamson Road is now completely paved, and crews finished striping the road on Friday. An earlier estimate expected 10th Street to finish construction by the end of the year. โThis way is beautiful now," said Hargrave, who lives on 10th Street. It makes the neighborhood look much better.โWork on the second phase of the 10th Street improvement project began in 2017 was expected to end in late 2019
Accident involving at least 63 vehicles shuts down I-64 westbound near Queens Creek Bridge, 35 injured
Virginia State Police responded to a โ63 vehicle chain-reaction accidentโ with 35 reported injuries Sunday morning. According to WAVY, they received a call at 7:49 a.m. for a crash on I-64 westbound near the Queens Creek Bridge. Peter Glagola with Riverside Regional Medical Center tweeted that they were treating 35 patients from the wreck. Police confirmed several people are injured and two of them have injuries that are considered life-threatening. The Virginia Department of Transportation tweeted that all westbound lanes are closed for the incident.
VDOT prepares for icy, dangerous road conditions
ROANOKE, Va. โ Along with colder temperatures comes the chance for ice and dangerous road conditions. You can see the Virginia Department of Transportationโs lines of defense against the ice on highways across southwest Virginia. VDOT spokesperson Jen Ward says usually, crews wouldnโt brine the highways with rain in the forecast. But because thereโs a chance for sleet and ice, VDOT wants to take those precautions. โWhen you have air temperature and road temperature both impacting things, which is what weโre expecting (Friday) morning, thatโs when you get your icy roads,โ said Ward.
I-64 reopens after tractor trailer crash causes both lanes to close near Afton Mountain
However, the scenic overlook at mile marker 100 will remain closed as crews continue cleanup. Original story:Both lanes of Interstate 64 were shut down Sunday morning due to a crash involving a commercial bus and a tractor-trailer. State police and VDOT say the crash happened around 4:30 a.m. at 100 mile marker, which is just past the summit of Afton Mountain in Albemarle County. Troopers say at least four people were taken to Augusta Medical and several others to UVA Medical Center. The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department posted pictures to its Facebook page.
VDOT reminding drivers to move over or slow down when there's an accident
LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to bring attention to the importance of emergency response. Traffic Incident Management Week is coming up. VDOT is reminding drivers to move over or slow down when they see an accident. VDOT said 10 first responders or transportation officials have died while helping at the scene of an accident. Traffic Incident Management Week starts Monday.
VDOT prepping for Mother Nature this winter
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Theres no telling what Mother Nature will bring this winter, and thats why the Virginia Department of Transportation is prepping its staff. VDOT officials say employees are training while making sure all equipment works and is clean. As always, VDOT wants drivers to be patient with them on the roads and plan ahead, if traveling. When in doubt don't pass the plow truck cause there's no benefit to you or that that plow driver to pass them. VDOT just added a new brine-making plant in Charlotte County to support the south part of the district.
Death of man found in work van in Rockbridge County deemed not suspicious
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. - UPDATEAuthorities have identified the man that was found dead in a work van in Rockbridge County earlier this week. Allan Vandevander, 57, of Crimora, was found dead in the van on Tuesday around 3 a.m. by a coworker. Vandevander reportedly contacted his employer, Superior Road Services, after finishing a service call Monday around 5 p.m. A Superior Road Service employee found him dead around 3 a.m. Tuesday in his work van. UPDATEAuthorities are continuing to investigate after a man was found dead in a van in Rockbridge County early Tuesday morning. ORIGINAL STORYVirginia State Police is investigating after they say a man was found dead in a van early Tuesday morning.
$3 million road change coming to Amherst County
AMHERST, Va. - A $3 million road change is coming to Amherst County. Leaders with the Smart Scale program are giving the Virginia Department of Transportation money to fix U.S. 29 and Route 151 on Patrick Henry Highway. To quickly fix the problem VDOT temporarily installed flashing beams to warn incoming traffic of cars sitting in the lane. "So if you wanted to go, for example, coming out of 151 onto 29, you want to go north to Charlottesville that you'd actually go further down south and come back. So you aren't making that direct crossover over onto 29," Paula Jones, Lynchburg District's communications manager, said.
VDOT adds more Safety Service Patrol trucks on Interstate 81
SALEM, Va. - If you're stranded in your car along Interstate 81, help is on the way. The Virginia Department of Transportation expanded its fleet of Safety Service Patrol trucks at the beginning of the month. Seven more trucks are now patrolling I-81 in VDOT's Salem district and the coverage area now spans between Radford and Natural Bridge. The trucks can help stranded drivers with gas, water, or a jump start, but they mostly detour traffic around accidents on the interstate. VDOT Safety Service Patrol manager Mike King considers the patrols a solution to ongoing traffic problems on I-81 while the interstate awaits billions of dollars worth of improvements.
Tractor-trailer accident causes backup on US-220 in Roanoke County
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. - A tractor-trailer accident has caused traffic on US-220 in Roanoke County, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The accident happened near Clearbrook Village Lane and Indian Grave Road. As of 7:49 a.m., the northbound left shoulder and left lane are closed, and traffic is backed up for about one mile. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.
Vehicle fire causes 2.5-mile backup on I-81 in Montgomery County
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. - A vehicle fire has caused a backup on I-81 in Montgomery County, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The incident happened near mile marker 121 on the southbound side. The south right lane and right shoulder are closed. As of 11:23 a.m., traffic was backed up for about 2 1/2 miles. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.