Virginia

[Rothman]

This tiny piece of roundabout carries both northbound and southbound US 15.

Really?  I'd imagine 15 SB would exit where the existing road heads off to the east?

[1995hoo]

This tiny piece of roundabout carries both northbound and southbound US 15.

Really?  I'd imagine 15 SB would exit where the existing road heads off to the east?

Look at it in map view. NE2 is correct. If you're coming southbound and you want to continue south on Route 15, you take the third exit from the roundabout. Northbound traffic overlaps with that movement for one-quarter of the way around. For southbound traffic, instead of turning left onto what is similar to a loop ramp, you go around the roundabout.

Remember there are two Route 15s there—the business route and the bypass. NE2 is referring to traffic going to or from the bypass.

[Rothman]

This tiny piece of roundabout carries both northbound and southbound US 15.

Really?  I'd imagine 15 SB would exit where the existing road heads off to the east?

Look at it in map view. NE2 is correct. If you're coming southbound and you want to continue south on Route 15, you take the third exit from the roundabout. Northbound traffic overlaps with that movement for one-quarter of the way around. For southbound traffic, instead of turning left onto what is similar to a loop ramp, you go around the roundabout.

Remember there are two Route 15s there—the business route and the bypass. NE2 is referring to traffic going to or from the bypass.

Ah, I see now.  I thought there was a connection to 360 freeway SB to the east.

[1995hoo]

I had to look at the map to understand because there was no roundabout there the last time I passed through that area.

[WillWeaverRVA]

After getting VDOT to fix a long, LONG-running error on its map - "21th Street" in downtown Richmond - I found a bunch more errors on VDOT's latest transportation map that they are going to fix. They include the following:

Downtown Norfolk inset: ALT 334 should be ALT 337

Fredericksburg inset: Route 212 between Falmouth and Chatham should be Route 218

Charlottesville inset: Route 302 missing from the University of Virginia

Northern Virginia inset: Route 213 missing from Manassas Drive in Manassas Park. Route 294 and Route 234 intersection is now an interchange and should have a square.

Downtown Richmond: Route 353 missing from Duval Street near VCU, Route 318 missing from Bank Street, Governor Street is missing between Broad Street and Bank Street. Franklin Street is on the wrong side of 14th (west of 14th is Bank Street, east of 14th is Franklin Street). Franklin Street is shown as being continuous underneath I-95 when there's a gap between 15th and 17th.

Hampton Roads and Tidewater: Route 167 is shown on Chesapeake Avenue but this hasn't had a number since the early 2000s. Magruder Blvd is now Neil Armstrong Pkwy. Indian River Road in Chesapeake is Route 407.

Bristol inset: Route 11 should be Route 11W west of Route 381 (the icon says US 11/421, should be US 11W/421).

Norton & Wise inset: Hurricane Rd is spelled "Hurricance Rd"

[74/171FAN]

Only comment I have is that I do not think that VA 407 enters Chesapeake.

[Mapmikey]

Only comment I have is that I do not think that VA 407 enters Chesapeake.

407 is mostly in Chesapeake...it no longer enters Virginia Beach.

Is the US 421 reroute in Bristol from 2011 finally going to be shown?

[74/171FAN]

Only comment I have is that I do not think that VA 407 enters Chesapeake.

407 is mostly in Chesapeake...it no longer enters Virginia Beach.

My brain was thinking that Indian River Road went straight from Norfolk into Virginia Beach.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Only comment I have is that I do not think that VA 407 enters Chesapeake.

407 is mostly in Chesapeake...it no longer enters Virginia Beach.

Is the US 421 reroute in Bristol from 2011 finally going to be shown?

Crap, I forgot about that and I even mentioned 421. The 2026 map has 421 running from I-81/US 58 to State Street and Euclid Avenue, then has 421 on BOTH State and Euclid to Commonwealth to a bunch of city streets with US 11/19 Truck, so not only is the reroute not shown but 421 is shown going two different wrong ways simultaneously.

[Beltway]

Who did you send it to? I got them to fix about 20 errors about 15 years ago, and least nearly all got fixed within a couple years. I knew who to send it to.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Who did you send it to? I got them to fix about 20 errors about 15 years ago, and least nearly all got fixed within a couple years. I knew who to send it to.

I got in touch with VDOT's social media manager (social at vdot dot virginia dot gov) and she passed it along to the cartography team. The 21th Street error in Richmond was corrected online in about a week and was also corrected in the first print run of the 2026 map.

I was told that the errors I pointed out in my second email will likely be corrected for the 2026 map's next print run.

[WillWeaverRVA]

407 is mostly in Chesapeake...it no longer enters Virginia Beach.

As an aside, apparently VDOT forgot about that when they went into Virginia Beach to rebuild the Indian River Road/Kempsville Road intersection back in 2021.

[Beltway]

Who did you send it to? I got them to fix about 20 errors about 15 years ago, and least nearly all got fixed within a couple years. I knew who to send it to.

I got in touch with VDOT's social media manager (social at vdot dot virginia dot gov) and she passed it along to the cartography team. The 21th Street error in Richmond was corrected online in about a week and was also corrected in the first print run of the 2026 map.
I was told that the errors I pointed out in my second email will likely be corrected for the 2026 map's next print run.

Good process, that works. I knew the person who was in charge of the state map, so I sent it to him. He has since retired.

[Beltway]

RICHMOND — The Commonwealth Transportation Board at its April 22 meeting in Fredericksburg awarded a contract to widen about three miles of Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and Salem between mile marker 133.8 to exit 137. Construction of this segment is expected to begin in spring 2027.

The contract for $237.75 million was awarded to Triton Construction, Inc. of Virginia. More than 50,000 vehicles use this stretch of I-81 every day.

The project is funded by the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP) which enhances safety, reduces congestion and unlocks the region for further economic growth.

https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/statewide/contract-awarded-for-interstate-81-widening-project-in-roanoke-county-and-salem.php

[sprjus4]

Badly needed... but 8 years for construction, yikes.

[Beltway]

Badly needed... but 8 years for construction, yikes.

This is one of three projects. As they say --

The planned 3.2-mile project is part of a larger improvement project along nine miles of I-81 northbound and southbound near Ironto, which includes three separate segments:

Segment N: Mile marker 133.8 to exit 137 (contract awarded)
Segment M: Mile markers 131 to 133.8 with construction expected to start in 2028
Segment S: Exit 128 to mile marker 131 with construction expected to start late 2027/early 2028
. . . . .

Not sure why it said 2035. If those go according to schedule it would be more like 2031.

[sprjus4]

Badly needed... but 8 years for construction, yikes.

This is one of three projects. As they say --

The planned 3.2-mile project is part of a larger improvement project along nine miles of I-81 northbound and southbound near Ironto, which includes three separate segments:

Segment N: Mile marker 133.8 to exit 137 (contract awarded)
Segment M: Mile markers 131 to 133.8 with construction expected to start in 2028
Segment S: Exit 128 to mile marker 131 with construction expected to start late 2027/early 2028
. . . . .

Not sure why it said 2035. If those go according to schedule it would be more like 2031.

I'd hope so...

I-81 northbound only (southbound is already 3 lanes) widening between MM 118 and MM 128 is set to begin in March 2030 and also has a completion date of 2035.

I'm not sure why the much more difficult mountainous widening has a 5 year time frame, and the segment from MM 128 to MM 141 has an 8 year time frame.

Regardless, once all these projects wrap up by 2035, I-81 will be six lanes between MM 118 and MM 150, which will be a significant improvement and unlock a notorious bottleneck.

I believe further widening of I-81 north of MM 150 is proposed in the next round of projects as well.

[Beltway]

I-81 northbound only (southbound is already 3 lanes) widening between MM 118 and MM 128 is set to begin in March 2030 and also has a completion date of 2035.
I'm not sure why the much more difficult mountainous widening has a 5 year time frame, and the segment from MM 128 to MM 141 has an 8 year time frame.
Regardless, once all these projects wrap up by 2035, I-81 will be six lanes between MM 118 and MM 150, which will be a significant improvement and unlock a notorious bottleneck.
I believe further widening of I-81 north of MM 150 is proposed in the next round of projects as well.

Christiansburg to Troutville completed -- I surmise that is what they meant by 2035. But per currently projected dates all will be under construction by 2028.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.aol.com/news/chesapeake-expressway-toll-rates-increase-184646311.html

The Chesapeake Expressway toll rates are going up starting on May 1st.

$4 on the weekday, but it jumps up to $10 on the weekends!

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://www.aol.com/news/chesapeake-expressway-toll-rates-increase-184646311.html

The Chesapeake Expressway toll rates are going up starting on May 1st.

$4 on the weekday, but it jumps up to $10 on the weekends!

Battlefield Boulevard's about to become a traffic nightmare.

[MASTERNC]

https://www.aol.com/news/chesapeake-expressway-toll-rates-increase-184646311.html

The Chesapeake Expressway toll rates are going up starting on May 1st.

$4 on the weekday, but it jumps up to $10 on the weekends!

Delaware charges $12 to traverse its toll road on weekends down to the beaches, but that is over two toll plazas and not one.

For $70, you can get the discount program here and start saving after 5 round trips.  Still, that's a huge outlay for frequent beachgoers.

[sprjus4]

https://www.aol.com/news/chesapeake-expressway-toll-rates-increase-184646311.html

The Chesapeake Expressway toll rates are going up starting on May 1st.

$4 on the weekday, but it jumps up to $10 on the weekends!

Delaware charges $12 to traverse its toll road on weekends down to the beaches, but that is over two toll plazas and not one.

For $70, you can get the discount program here and start saving after 5 round trips.  Still, that's a huge outlay for frequent beachgoers.

The difference is the Chesapeake Expressway toll portion is only 6 miles.

I don't think it'll make much of a difference... I can't imagine too many people already paying $9 are now going to raise their eyes at $10.

Anyone who thinks $10 is ridiculous also thinks $9 is ridiculous and is already taking Battlefield Blvd.

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://www.aol.com/news/chesapeake-expressway-toll-rates-increase-184646311.html

The Chesapeake Expressway toll rates are going up starting on May 1st.

$4 on the weekday, but it jumps up to $10 on the weekends!

Delaware charges $12 to traverse its toll road on weekends down to the beaches, but that is over two toll plazas and not one.

For $70, you can get the discount program here and start saving after 5 round trips.  Still, that's a huge outlay for frequent beachgoers.

The difference is the Chesapeake Expressway toll portion is only 6 miles.

I don't think it'll make much of a difference... I can't imagine too many people already paying $9 are now going to raise their eyes at $10.

Anyone who thinks $10 is ridiculous also thinks $9 is ridiculous and is already taking Battlefield Blvd.

Yup. This isn't a Route 895 situation where you might have people using that route frequently (although 895 is also ridiculously freaking expensive for what it is), most people going that way are taking maybe one or two round trips a year, and I guarantee those people are already using Battlefield Blvd or Centerville Turnpike.

[Beltway]

The difference is the Chesapeake Expressway toll portion is only 6 miles.
I don't think it'll make much of a difference... I can't imagine too many people already paying $9 are now going to raise their eyes at $10. Anyone who thinks $10 is ridiculous also thinks $9 is ridiculous and is already taking Battlefield Blvd.

Yup. This isn't a Route 895 situation where you might have people using that route frequently (although 895 is also ridiculously freaking expensive for what it is), most people going that way are taking maybe one or two round trips a year, and I guarantee those people are already using Battlefield Blvd or Centerville Turnpike.

Chesapeake Expressway wasn't privately funded. Unless such a high toll is needed to manage crush loads to OBX, it should be lower.

[VTGoose]

I'd hope so...

I-81 northbound only (southbound is already 3 lanes) widening between MM 118 and MM 128 is set to begin in March 2030 and also has a completion date of 2035.

I'm not sure why the much more difficult mountainous widening has a 5 year time frame, and the segment from MM 128 to MM 141 has an 8 year time frame.

If the northbound work between Christiansburg and Ironto goes like the southbound work, there will be times that the whole road can be shut down and traffic detoured from Dixie Caverns to Christiansburg on parallel U.S. 11/460. That will speed the work that has to be done.

The section from Ironto to the first Salem exit doesn't have a good parallel detour -- U.S. 11/460 is there, but from Glenvar to Wildwood Rd. is a 45 MPH zone with traffic lights and just more traffic. The interstate also has to be shoehorned into a narrower right of way with houses and properties that back right up to the fence line (much like the section from Salem to I-581 that might be done by fall). That section will have sound walls to deal with.

I don't know if the contractor on this next section is the same one who has been working on the current section, but I hope not. The current project seems to have been done very piecemeal -- work would be done on one of the bridges near the south end, then grading would be done in the middle, then work on a section of median wall, but not continuous -- all while the lanes shifted back and forth between bad pavement and a short stretch of new asphalt.

It will be worth the pain when it is all done, though. That stretch needed work way back when the private contractors offered to upgrade I-81.

Bruce in Blacksburg