I81 Southbound - Strasburg Area Widening
I81 Southbound - Strasburg Area Widening
Benefits
The project is one of a series of corridor improvements to I-81. This project improves safety and traffic flow on southbound Interstate 81 in the Strasburg area by providing an additional travel lane. It will ease existing congestion and provide for future capacity needs.
Public Outreach
This project, part of the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Program, will widen a portion of I-81 southbound near the Town of Strasburg and the Shenandoah/Warren County line. The project will construct an additional southbound lane between mile markers 295.4 and 299.6. The additional lane will be 12-feet wide with a 10 to 12-foot wide paved shoulder constructed on the median side of the highway.
This project will connect to a SMART Scale project on I-81 southbound, which extends the acceleration lane at exit 300, taking traffic from I-66 westbound to I-81 southbound. The exit 300 project, scheduled for construction between late summer 2022 and summer 2024, ends just south of (Route 840) Water Plant Road. The I-81 southbound Strasburg project is anticipated to begin when the exit 300 construction concludes.
As part of the I-81 southbound Strasburg project, the bridge over the CSX rail line will be widened and the existing substructure will remain. The entire bridge will receive a new deck and superstructure. The new superstructure includes beams, bridge deck, handrails, curbs and floor system.
The I-81 southbound bridge over Cedar Creek will be entirely replaced.
Overpass bridges at I-81 exit 296, Route 55 (John Marshall Highway), and at I-81 exit 298, Route 11 (Old Valley Pike), are within the project limits, in good condition, and not currently in need of replacement. Under these bridges the I-81 left-side paved shoulder width will be three feet at the exit 296 overpass and two feet at the exit 298 overpass. A pier protection system in front of the bridge piers will be installed at each of these locations.
The project may include approximately one mile of sound barriers along the I-81 northbound lanes. A final determination for sound barrier construction will be made once the design is further along. The final sound barrier location and length is yet to be determined.
Several battlefields, historical easements, and a cemetery are adjacent to the project. Work is anticipated to be within the existing variable width right-of-way to avoid impacts to these protected resources.
In 2019 I-81 southbound had an average daily traffic count of 29,000 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2047 the estimated average daily traffic volume is 42,000 vehicles per day.
I-81 Corridor Improvement Program projects were selected following public input along with a data-based 2018 study of the I-81 corridor in Virginia. The study identified $4 billion of potential improvements with $2.2 billion funded through legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2019 [Chapters 837 and 846 (HB 2718 and SB 1716)]. The I-81 CIP plan was approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in December 2019. The plan is updated annually in December.
More information about I-81 CIP is available at Improve81.org.
Project Schedule
Project plan approval Late Spring, 2022 (June)
Right of Way Summer, 2023
Construction advertisement Spring, 2024
Construction begins: Summer, 2024
Construction completion: Fall, 2027
Project Costs
Preliminary Engineering $8,971,897
Right of Way $5,982,174
Construction $111,256,358
Estimated total cost $126,210,429
Public Meeting
Design Public Hearing
Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
Alternate date if needed: April 27, 2022, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
Comment Deadline
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Public Meeting Location
Strasburg High School
250 Ram Drive
Strasburg, VA 22657
Design Public Hearing Materials
- Meeting display: See links to boards displays below.
- I-81 Southbound CIP Strasburg Project Video
Resources
Contact Information:
Pamela Bowman, Project Manager
pamela.bowman@vdot.virginia.gov
540-332-7746
Project Numbers
State 0081-085-858, P101, R201, C501, B603, B604, D601, D602
Federal NHPP-081-3(197)
UPC 116268
Latitude/Longitude 39°0'26.4" -78°19'56.1"
Locality: Shenandoah County/Staunton District
Translation assistance: For translation assistance, please call the VDOT Staunton District Civil Rights Office at 540-292-3040. More information on Translation services can be acccessed here.