I-81 Traffic

Anyone that has ever traveled up and down Interstate 81 in Virginia can tell you it's almost always a major headache. The interstate connects numerous locations in Virginia including: Christiansburg, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, and Lexington. In theory, the interstate's route is very efficient, but with only two lanes in each direction, it gets backed up very easily. The main problem lies behind the large quantity of tractor trailers on the highway. Since 81 is the only major highway that runs North to South in western Virginia, its about the only option for truckers. The truck drivers often try to pass each other, making it impossible for cars to get by. This forms a chain reaction which makes it hard to even achieve the speed limit. Since the interstate is often clogged with traffic, the number of traffic accidents is obviously going to be high as well. Whenever an accident occurs, the backups only get worse. At least one lane is usually closed to clear the accidents and allow emergency personnel to get to the scene. This causes major backups since two lanes of traffic have to merge into one lane to get past the wreck. Sometimes, both lanes of traffic have to be closed for larger accidents. In this case, detours are used to route the traffic around the accidents. These usually involve small back roads and backed up exit ramps. Sometimes these detours can cause backups on the interstate for as much as 10 miles. Last Thursday, not just 2 lanes were closed, but the entire 4 lanes of I-81 were shut down around milepost 167. This was a result of a tractor trailer pileup when one truck crossed through the median and hit another. One trailer was carrying a toxic chemical which leaked and had to be cleaned up. According to WDBJ7, the interstate was closed down for 13 hours on Thursday and was backed up for as far as 11 miles at times. The driver of one tractor trailer was killed but the other driver was not seriously injured. My mother was traveling to Blacksburg at the time for Thursday nights basketball game. According to her she moved 8 miles in 3 hours once she hit the backup. Although Interstate 81 is an ideal road for getting to various cities in Western Virginia, the accidents and backups seem to be getting worse everyday.