Collegiate Times

Increased congestion and truck traffic has prompted the Commonwealth Transportation Board to make improvements on Interstate 81. The corridor, which combined with Interstate 59 and a portion of Interstate 75, runs from New Orleans to northern New York and serves smaller cities rather than major metropolitan areas.

Current truck traffic on I-81 is approximately 40 percent of the total traffic. The daily truck average is 14,000 trucks per day, or 5.1 million trucks per year. Around 70 percent of the trucks on I-81 are ?long-haul?, meaning the trips for that particular truck are over 500 miles.

The Virginia Department of Transportation first entered into negotiation with STAR Solutions to add four truck lanes to the 325-mile highway. However, this project was projected to cost upwards of $13 billion and would have incited major environmental concerns with the immense land acquisition it would entail.

The proposal was struck down in search of options more economically and environmentally reasonable.

Students who frequently travel on I-81 to and from home agree that some improvements are necessary.

"Going home on I-81 becomes more and more difficult every time. Not only is the mountainous road only two lanes each direction, but it is congested by hundreds of trucks struggling with every uphill,? freshman accounting major Lisa Weisbrod said. ?I think that a major expansion would cause worse congestion during construction but something needs to be done. There needs to be less trucks traveling on it.?

One of the short-term proposals for I-81 is to build truck-climbing lanes in certain locations. These lanes would allow heavy trucks to accelerate up inclines out of the main flow of traffic.

Federal legislation has allotted $100 million for construction of these lanes on I-81.

Other short-term improvements will be devoted to increasing safety on the interstate. These enhancements include installing guardrails along narrow medians, lengthening the on and off ramps along numerous interchanges, and adding cameras and electronic billboards with traffic updates.

In addition to these improvements, the I-81 Freight Rail Study is being conducted to increase the use of freight rail, as opposed to trucks, in carrying loads long distance. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public transportation plans to begin the study of what rail improvements would best help ameliorate congestion this fall and hopes to complete it by summer 2007.

Once completed, rail improvement projects would commence as soon as next year.

Virginia Tech transportation supports the state?s decision to make changes to the interstate.

?The office of transportation at Virginia Tech views that there is a need to enhance the safety on interstate 81 and we support the state?s intent and desire to do so,? Director of Transportation Steve Mouras said. ?We perceive that there is an increasing need for improvements and we encourage the state?s decision to make changes.?

Despite the less radical modifications currently proposed to relieve congestion, it may only be a matter of time before larger projects are necessary to see substantial improvement. Studies show that 37 percent of the interstate needs an additional lane, while the rest may even need up to two additional lanes.

By 2035, it is predicted that there will be as many as 75,000 passenger vehicles per day on most areas of I-81.

?It?s appropriate for us to have both long- and short-term strategies to address conditions on I-81,? Secretary of Transportation for Virginia Pierce Homer said. ?Rail is part of the solution. An on-going program of safety improvements is part of the solution. Long-term highway improvements also are needed.?

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will be voting on the proposals for I-81 on Oct. 11 in the Hotel Roanoke. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and will provide an opportunity for public input.