Climbing lanes could allow drivers to pass slower trucks
by PAT McGLONE
The Virginia Department of Transportation will kill two birds with one stone on Interstate 81 in Rockbridge County.
VDOT is replacing the bridges over Buffalo Creek on I-81 for safety, and at the same time, creating a truck-climbing lane to speed up the flow of traffic. The lane, about 1.3 miles long, will be in addition to the existing two lanes, thus preventing slower trucks from blocking other traffic at an uphill stretch of the interstate. The construction, about five miles south of Lexington, should be complete before the end of the year.
When a tractor-trailer is climbing a hill it will often slow down 20 or more miles-per-hour. This can greatly slow progress for the rest of the traffic.
I-81 was intended to carry about 15 percent of its total volume of traffic in trucks. In reality it is supporting a much higher percentage than that - as much as 20 percent more in some areas.
Susan Hammond, local VDOT resident engineer, said truck-climbing lanes not only help speed along traffic but also provide safer conditions for drivers. In Christiansburg, south of Roanoke on I-81, a truck climbing lane expanded a bit of the road that was originally too narrow for an emergency stop.
Fred Altizer, a VDOT engineer based in Salem, said that truck lanes are among of the major projects being demanded by Virginians.
“We really haven’t programmed a lot because of a lack of funds,” he said. “There’s not a lot of new money or resources available for 81.”
Altizer said that this is not a new problem in the area, simply one that couldn’t be addressed until more recently.
The cost will be more than $7 million. However, the project comes with federal funding, about $1 to every 20 cents in state money.
In addition to the truck-climbing lane, safety improvements on I-81 include two adjacent bridges spanning Buffalo Creek that are being replaced for about $31 million.
Altizer said a problem among the clamor for more roadway is that, in order to accommodate the traffic, bridges have to expand as well. If a pair of bridges, southbound and northbound, are to be rebuilt it can cost anywhere from $30 to $50 million.
Map of the location
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