RICHMOND, Va. – Are you hitting the road for summer’s big kick-off? If that’s the plan, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is going to help make travel easier during the Memorial Day holiday by lifting lane closures where possible. VDOT also offers tools to help you plan your trip – real-time traffic information can be found at
511virginia.org.
MOST MAJOR WORK ZONES SUSPENDED DURING MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL
VDOT will suspend most highway work zones and lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia for Memorial Day travel from noon Friday, May 26 until noon Tuesday, May 30.
TRAVEL-TRENDS MAP HELPS PREDICT PEAK CONGESTION
VDOT’s online, interactive
travel-trends map shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Memorial Day holidays (2014-2016). While it can’t precisely predict when congestion will be present this year, it can help you plan your travels around those times when the roads have historically been busiest.
The map shows varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion.
To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top of the map to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.
Based on the traffic data, periods of heavy congestion on the most recent Memorial Day weekends was most likely to occur between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Monday during the holiday period.
- Historically, heavy congestion was also present on:
- I-95 southbound and I-64 eastbound Saturday morning through afternoon I-95 northbound and I-64 westbound on Monday from noon through late evening
511 IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS – ONLINE OR BY PHONE
Real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available at
511Virginia.org. Download the
free mobile VDOT 511 app, or call 511 from any phone. To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center
at
800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:
·
HOV restrictions on Interstates 66 and 395 – restrictions
will be lifted on Monday, May 29. Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road HOV ramps operating on a normal weekday schedule. For more information on northern Virginia HOV schedules, visit
www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.asp.
· Direction schedule for the Interstate 95 Express Lanes/I-395 reversible lanes:
- Thursday, May 25 and Friday, May 26 – Lanes close northbound at 10 a.m., open to southbound traffic at noon.
- Rolling Thunder: Monday, May 29 – Visit www.expresslanes.com for special event reversal schedule.
Drivers are reminded that they need an E-ZPass Flex (for HOV-3 to ride toll-free) or an E-ZPass to use the lanes.
HAMPTON ROADS HOV SCHEDULE, TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION:
- I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV diamond lanes – HOV restrictions remain the same from Friday, May 26 – Sunday, May 28, and also on Tuesday, May 30. HOV restrictions will be lifted on Monday, May 29.
- I-64 reversible lanes – Schedule remains the same. HOV restrictions will be lifted on Monday, May 29.
- I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Local traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
- Travel to Outer Banks – Local traffic to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT to save time. From I-664 south, take I-64 west to exit 292, Chesapeake Expressway/I-464/Route 17. Keep left to continue to the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168), and take Nags Head/Great Bridge (exit 291B) to the Outer Banks.
- Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.
WORK ZONES AND OTHER TRAFFIC ALERTS
While VDOT will lift most lane closures for holiday travel, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:
Accomack County
Route 609 – Widening road in the Town of Onley. Follow detour.
Albemarle County
Route 29 – Widening roadway. Narrowed lanes and shoulder closures between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive). Speed limit in work zone reduced to 40 mph. More information:
www.Route29Solutions.org.
Amherst County
Route 130
- Replacing bridge over Pedlar River. Follow posted detour. Signs, message boards and barriers in place.
- Reconstructing bridge over Graham Creek. Traffic limited to one 11-foot lane, controlled by a signal. Signs and message boards in place.
Brunswick County
I-85 – Repairing bridge over railroad at mile marker 28. Traffic limited to one lane both directions. Ramp from I-85 north to Route 1 closed. Ramp from Route 1 south to I-85 south closed. Follow posted detour.
U.S. 58 – Repairing eastbound bridge over Great Creek. Left lane closed between Northview Dr. and Ogburn Rd.
Botetourt County
I-81 – Improving exit 150 interchange. Route 11 is closed at the interchange, and a detour is in place for access to Route 11, Route 220 Alternate and Route 220. From I-81: traffic accessing Route 220 Alternate or Route 11 will use exit 150 A. Only traffic accessing Route 220 northbound toward Fincastle will use exit 150 B. Trucks advised to use exit 150 A due to width restrictions. Signs and message boards in place.
Buckingham County
Route 20 – Replacing bridge over Slate River. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Charlotte County
Route 40 – Replacing bridge over Louse Creek. Traffic restricted to one lane, controlled by a signal. Message boards in place.
Dinwiddie County
Route 1 – Repairing southbound bridge on Route 1 (Boydton Plank Road) over CSX property. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions. Southbound shifted to northbound bridge. Width restriction of 11-feet in both directions.
Frederick County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 310. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Greensville County
U.S. 301 – Replacing southbound bridge over rail tracks north of Emporia. Traffic detoured to I-95.
Route 610 – Replacing bridge on Route 610 (Halifax Street) in the City of Emporia. Follow detour.
Isle of Wight County
U.S. 58 – Replacing bridge over rail tracks and Route 632. Follow detour.
Lancaster County/Middlesex County
Route 3 – Conducting bridge maintenance. Traffic reduced to one lane at the Robert O. Norris Bridge over the Rappahannock River. Temporary signal in place.
Lynchburg
Greenview Drive – Widening road. Changes in traffic pattern in place.
Route 29/U.S. 460
- Constructing safety improvements from Concord Turnpike to Candlers Mountain Road in both directions. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Madison County
Route 230 – Replacing bridge over Conway River. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.
Nelson County
Route 29 – Repairing slope southbound from 0.59 miles south of the Nelson/Albemarle County line to 0.68 miles south of Nelson/Albemarle County line. Right lane closed; left lane restricted to 11 feet.
Route 151/Route 635 – Improving intersection. Traffic control devices in place.
Route 6/Route 638 – Improving intersection. Traffic control devices in place.
Newport News
I-64 – Widening interstate between Newport News and Williamsburg. Speed limit reduced to 55 mph in work zone.
Norfolk/Virginia Beach
I-64/I-264 – Improving interchange. Lane shift and closed shoulder on I-64 westbound starting after Indian River Road and ending near the I-264 interchange.
Pittsylvania County
Route 29 – Replacing bridge over railroad tracks. Route 29/803 connection temporarily relocated. Southbound detour in place.
Route 29 – Repairing bridge over Banister River. Lane closures in place.
Portsmouth
U.S. 17 – Reconstructing roadway. Southbound traffic on U.S. 17 (Frederick Boulevard) is shifted and reduced to one lane before Turnpike Road. Southbound traffic unable to turn left onto Turnpike Road.
Pulaski/Montgomery County
I-81 – Replacing northbound bridge over the New River at the Pulaski/Montgomery County line. Shoulders closed between mile markers 103 and 105. Speed limit reduced to 60 mph in work zone.
Rockbridge County
I-64 – Rehabilitating Maury River bridges. Eastbound and westbound traffic limited to a single lane between mile markers 53.3 and 55.3. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 55 mph.
Rockingham County
Route 257 – Replacing bridge over Dry River. Single-lane traffic controlled by temporary signal. Vehicles limited to 13 feet in width.
Scott County
U.S. Route 23 – Replacing bridges over North Fork Holston River in the Weber City area. Traffic in both directions reduced to one lane, sharing the northbound bridge.
Shenandoah/Warren County
Route 11 – Replacing bridge over Cedar Creek at the Shenandoah/Warren County line. Traffic in both directions reduced to one lane, sharing southbound bridge. Northbound traffic will detour across median to use southbound lane.
Southampton County
Route 35 – Replacing bridge over Tarrara Creek in Boykins. Traffic reduced to single lane southbound. Temporary signal in place.
U.S. 58 Business – Reconstructing roadway in Courtland. Eastbound lane is closed.
Stafford County
I-95 – Extending 95 Express Lanes south of exit 143 (Route 610/Garrisonville). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.
Sussex County
Route 301 – Replacing bridge over Nottoway River. Detour in place.
Washington County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 14. Lanes shifted due to bridge reconstruction at exit. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
I-81 – Reconstructing two interstate bridges over Halls Bottom Road near exit 10. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Waynesboro
Route 340 – Replacing bridge over South River. Road closed between Constitution Park and East Avenue. Through traffic will use Broad Street (Route 250) as detour.
Wythe County
I-77/I-81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.
traffic corridors. 
devices for our work zones. It was also nice to run into a few of those busy Public Works Directors and get a chance to introduce myself and talk about all the great LTAP classes we have available. I look forward to meeting everybody face to face and talking specifically about your department's training needs.
And just this week I was lucky enough to be an instructor at UVA's Transportation Project Management Institute (TPMI). This was my fourth year teaching listening and team work skills to the students and we had a great time. I like to think that the students love my session because it is fast paced, fun and educational. But part of me thinks they just like it because they get to play outside for 90 minutes. Either way, we had fun, we learned how to brainstorm and work as a team and I didn't get sunburned. A victory in every sense of the word!
on Wednesday, May 10. This year, nearly 200 Virginia schools have listed events on the official website, 