News and Views

VBT : Tell your elected representatives in the Virginia General Assembly—We need to fix I-81.

Paralleling the Appalachian Mountains and serving cities including Roanoke, Staunton, Harrisonburg and Winchester, I-81 is the longest interstate highway in Virginia. And it has been overlooked for too long.

These days the interstate is packed, especially with long-haul truckers. I-81 carries 42 percent of all truck traffic in Virginia. And with traffic increasing, crashes are as well-averaging 2,000 every year, with 30 of those being major truck crashes requiring clearance times of more than six hours. This crash frequency (and corresponding delays) greatly affects the reliability of the transportation corridor. The loss of just one lane on the interstate cuts highway capacity by 65 percent. The highway is simply more congested and over the capacity for which it was designed.

But you can help turn things around for Interstate 81. Currently, Virginia representatives are debating this issue, with two Senate bills focused on the highway. The first, SB 583, would create the Western Virginia Transportation Fund to improve I-81 (similar to an approach that has worked in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads). SB 583 would provide immediate funding in the tens of millions each year, while another bill, SB 971, would provide for another study of the highway, potential improvements and what revenue could be raised from potential truck tolls.

Tell your representatives in Richmond that we need to fix I-81! Reach out by phone or email (find contact information for your legislator here) and tell them:

Please make it a priority this legislative season to fix I-81! Virginians deserve a safe, reliable highway. The congestion and frequent crashes are a danger to our communities, drivers and visitors, and we can't delay a solution any longer.

UPDATE: SB 583 has been continued to 2019 by the House Finance Committee, and will not be considered for the remainder of the 2018 Assembly. 
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