RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has launched a new study to further improve the Interstate 81 corridor. The I-81 Corridor Improvement Plan (CIP) will analyze the interstate’s entire 325 miles in Virginia. The first phase of the study focuses on identifying safety and congestion issues along the corridor.
As part of this first phase, VDOT is seeking feedback from the public to determine whether recent traffic-data analysis aligns with what drivers experience while traveling along the corridor. This public engagement period, which is open until April 15, includes a survey with an interactive map that allows the public to pinpoint locations where they experience issues on the corridor.
The survey, which has a translation tool for multiple languages, is available at https://improve81.vdot.virginia.gov/resources/corridor-improvement-plan/. Comments can also be sent to va81corridorplan@vdot.virginia.gov or by postal mail to Robert J. Williams, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1401 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219.
The next phase of the study will use traffic data and the online survey results to develop recommendations for improving the areas identified during the first phase. The study team will seek input from the public on those recommendations at in-person meetings this summer, and again in the fall to further refine the recommendations. The full study is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
This study is being conducted as part of the Interstate Operations and Enhancement Program (IOEP), which is intended to improve safety, reliability and travel flow along interstate highway corridors in the commonwealth through the development and funding of operational and capital improvements.
VDOT completed a similar study on I-81 in 2018, which resulted in the advancement of 65 construction projects worth approximately $3 billion. Information on those projects can be found at Improve81.org
