Virginia

[Strider]

If someone is coming from the west and wants to connect to one of the major cities in the Northeast Corridor, guess what highway they are going to take.... I-81. Granted I don't have experience with I-81 in VA, but I have driven the road further north in PA and its pretty damned busy. One of the highways that splits off and heads east with a bulk of the freight traffic is I-78 and nobody is going to say that isn't a busy/major trucking route!

And I'm also on this side. I'm not the only person I know who will use I-81 from NC to NJ/NY/New England (via 78-287 or 84) to avoid I-95.

I used to live on the northwest side of DC.  All it took was stop and go traffic in NOVA when I had to get to Maryland before 3 on a Saturday and I took 81 most of the time back home to Greensboro, getting onto 220 in Roanoke.

I am the same. I always use US 220 up to Roanoke, and then take I-81 (along with I-78, I-287, I-87, I-84) all the way to New England when I visited Boston. I avoided I-95 until I reached Boston area. The only times I would take I-95 is if I am going to Baltimore or Philly.

[ran4sh]

I am the same. I always use US 220 up to Roanoke, and then take I-81 (along with I-78, I-287, I-87, I-84) all the way to New England when I visited Boston. I avoided I-95 until I reached Boston area. The only times I would take I-95 is if I am going to Baltimore or Philly.

Is I-78 - I-287 - I-87 a better route to Boston than just using I-81 to I-84 ?

[hbelkins]

I am the same. I always use US 220 up to Roanoke, and then take I-81 (along with I-78, I-287, I-87, I-84) all the way to New England when I visited Boston. I avoided I-95 until I reached Boston area. The only times I would take I-95 is if I am going to Baltimore or Philly.

Is I-78 - I-287 - I-87 a better route to Boston than just using I-81 to I-84 ?

I wouldn't think so. More traffic and tolls. Other than Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, I-81 to I-84 is a very rural route, and more scenic too.

[famartin]

I am the same. I always use US 220 up to Roanoke, and then take I-81 (along with I-78, I-287, I-87, I-84) all the way to New England when I visited Boston. I avoided I-95 until I reached Boston area. The only times I would take I-95 is if I am going to Baltimore or Philly.

Is I-78 - I-287 - I-87 a better route to Boston than just using I-81 to I-84 ?

78 and 287 can be pretty heavy in NJ.

[Strider]

I am the same. I always use US 220 up to Roanoke, and then take I-81 (along with I-78, I-287, I-87, I-84) all the way to New England when I visited Boston. I avoided I-95 until I reached Boston area. The only times I would take I-95 is if I am going to Baltimore or Philly.

Is I-78 - I-287 - I-87 a better route to Boston than just using I-81 to I-84 ?

No, I wanted to go that way to see which route works best for me as a driver, so that was why I took that route. But if you don't want to deal with heavy traffic, just use I-81 to I-84. I was fortunate to ran into less traffic that time and it was one of the rare times. Like others said, traffic can get really heavy on I-78 and I-287.

[bluecountry]

95 needs to be like the NJTP, should be the first priority in VA.  Period.

Why is that so, despite the truckers on 81?

Because he travels on I-95 more than I-81 and doesn't want to be inconvenienced by heavy traffic on 95.

Because I-95 is severely over capacity, it is one of the worst bottlenecks in the country, it connects and serves the nation's capital, megalopolis, and northeast to FL traffic.

Sorry, there are HOV (or HOT?) lanes being built over there... you can take them.

Except they are in one direction even though the corridor is hardly just a commuter zone.

[1995hoo]

The following tweet appeared this morning. Note the VDOT logo. The survey is on VDOT's behalf. I assume members of this forum will immediately notice what I found amusing about the tweet itself.

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1575799623419150337

[hbelkins]

The following tweet appeared this morning. Note the VDOT logo. The survey is on VDOT's behalf. I assume members of this forum will immediately notice what I found amusing about the tweet itself.

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1575799623419150337

Three things jumped out at me:

The typo "you."

The fact that a hurricane warning is posted on the VMS board and there really is a hurricane that could impact Virginia.

TTI's involved and the font isn't Clearview. 

[1995hoo]

What stood out most to me is that it's a picture of the New Jersey Turnpike.

[D-Dey65]

What stood out most to me is that it's a picture of the New Jersey Turnpike.

You think VDOT wants the same kinds of VMS signs on their coastal interstates?

[sigh] I still remember when the VMS signs of the New Jersey Turnpike was one of the features that made it so unique.

[1995hoo]

A certain forum member will likely be enraged by this:

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1580196622499094528

[sprjus4]

^ I would like to see more focus on adding lanes, but I'm aware that will not likely ever happen in many areas despite their need.

[bluecountry]

A certain forum member will likely be enraged by this:

[tweet]1580196622499094528[/tweet]

I'm not enraged by this so long as 95 is the first and top priority.
To have 81 be the same width as 95 is absurd; meaning 95 needs to be bigger.

I was going to say, one area that NEEDS to be fixed is 81 from the US48 exit to 66.  That absolutely should be 6 lanes to 66; if not local/express.

[sprjus4]

^ The southbound acceleration lane from where I-66 dumps onto the left lane of I-81 south is currently under construction being extended, and another project scheduled to begin in 2024 will extend this third lane to just beyond US-48, making southbound I-81 three lanes between I-66 and US-48.

There's currently no project planned for northbound, however.

https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/interstate-81-strasburg-area-widening-mile-markers-295.4-to-299.6.asp

Admittedly, while the whole I-81 corridor through Virginia needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout, at the very least, every widening project that is planned should be both directions... it amazes me with the amount of these "one direction"  projects that are planned, as if the other direction does not need it.

[famartin]

^ The southbound acceleration lane from where I-66 dumps onto the left lane of I-81 south is currently under construction being extended, and another project scheduled to begin in 2024 will extend this third lane to just beyond US-48, making southbound I-81 three lanes between I-66 and US-48.

There's currently no project planned for northbound, however.

https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/interstate-81-strasburg-area-widening-mile-markers-295.4-to-299.6.asp

Admittedly, while the whole I-81 corridor through Virginia needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout, at the very least, every widening project that is planned should be both directions... it amazes me with the amount of these "one direction"  projects that are planned, as if the other direction does not need it.

I'd guess they are focusing on locations where width limitations notably increase the accident rate. It would explain the odd widening projects. But that's a guess.

[VTGoose]

Admittedly, while the whole I-81 corridor through Virginia needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout, at the very least, every widening project that is planned should be both directions... it amazes me with the amount of these "one direction"  projects that are planned, as if the other direction does not need it.

Most of those cases involve grades where a climbing lane will help the traffic flow by cutting down on places where trucks micro pass and back up everyone else. The other direction (downhill) probably does need another lane but at the moment traffic flows as well as expected. One place that critically does need a third lane downhill is on Christiansburg Mountain between exit 118 and exit 128. There is at least one accident a week (in addition to the daily bad wreck somewhere on I-81) that blocks both lanes and the shoulder and ties up traffic. Like its companion southbound side, this section is a roller coaster with both long downhill runs and some uphill sections -- and no place to go once one passes the exit to the C/D lane in Christiansburg.

Bruce in Blacksburg

[WillWeaverRVA]

VA 281 is fully posted properly now.

[froggie]

^ Including from 895?

[WillWeaverRVA]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

[Alps]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

$3! From the east end.

[Takumi]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

I might be able to find out next week when I go to the airport.

[plain]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

$3! From the east end.

The fact that the Airport exit has the same toll rate as Laburnum Ave (which is much closer to the main toll plaza) is utterly ridiculous. Should be no more than $1.50. And I say that loosely because the tolls are high AF for this area anyway. But $3 is certainly encouraging a lot of people coming from I-295 to find other routes to the airport.

[D-Dey65]

Even though many of us know this stuff, here's an interesting video about I-81 posted today.

https://youtu.be/4Oa1diD9C_s

Toll or no toll, I like the idea of separate car and truck lanes.

[Thing 342]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

Can confirm that it is not currently posted in either direction. Strange, seeing as there's clearly a space on the BGS intended for a shield.

[Takumi]

^ Including from 895?

That I don't know, but someone posted on Facebook that 281 is very well posted in the correct directions, with trailblazers at Seven Hills Blvd. I'm not currently willing to spend $5.20 to find out.

Can confirm that it is not currently posted in either direction. Strange, seeing as there's clearly a space on the BGS intended for a shield.

Took 895 east to RIC today, and they had posted one 281 shield on one of the BGS's, and were in the middle of putting a 281 shield on another. So it'll likely be fully posted in both directions on 895 by the end of the day today.