RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE David Fierro (804) 786-2717 David.Fierro@vdot.virginia.gov (804) 517-2686

CO-0791 Dec. 19, 2007

VDOT SUSPENDS LANE CLOSURES FOR HOLIDAYS
Long-Term Construction Zones Remain in Place

RICHMOND – To help ease travel during the Christmas and New Years holidays, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will not permit temporary lane closures from noon Monday, Dec. 24, until noon Wednesday, Dec. 26, and again from noon Monday, Dec. 31, until noon Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Long-term construction zones with concrete barriers and orange barrels will remain in place.

The holiday season brings increased travel on Virginia’s highways. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — VDOT, the Department of Motor Vehicles, State Police and Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control — challenges drivers to help prevent highway fatalities.

• Buckle up
• Avoid distractions
• Share the road
• Drive drug and alcohol free
• Obey speed limits

For more information on the Virginia’s Highway Safety Challenge, visit www.safeVAhighways.org.

The following services are available to help make travel safer and easier:

• 511 Virginia is a one-stop traffic information center where motorists can find out the latest information about road conditions, construction delays and other incidents that affect travel.
  
  You can access it by dialing 511 from or visiting www.511Virginia.org.
  
  Callers outside Virginia can dial (866) MY511VA [(866) 695-1182].
  
  
• For information on road construction, incidents and live traffic cameras, visit VDOT’s Travel Center at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel.
  
  
• E-ZPass, Virginia’s electronic toll collection system, is part of the E-ZPass network.
  
  E-ZPass customers may use their transponders at toll facilities in:


• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• West Virginia

For more information, visit www.ezpassva.com.

The following work zones might pose temporary delays:

Bristol District:

Interstates 77/81 overlap: Be alert to the possibility of slowed or stopped traffic in this area of Wythe County due to expected high traffic volumes.

Interstate 77 East River and Big Walker Mountain tunnels: Be alert for delays due to restoration projects at both tunnels. VDOT has established a toll-free phone number, (866) 7-TUNNEL, to keep motorists informed about travel conditions through the tunnel work zones.

Hampton Roads District

Interstates 64/264/564 HOV lanes: On Monday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday, Dec. 25, HOV restrictions will be lifted on all interstate HOV lanes.

The reversible roadway on I-64 will be open to westbound traffic from 1 - 11 a.m., and to eastbound traffic from 1 - 11 p.m. daily.

HOV lanes will resume a normal schedule at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 25.

Note: HOV/reversible roadway lane directions may shift throughout the holiday, depending on road conditions and traffic volume.

I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel: Motorists going to Virginia Beach might want to use the Interstate 664 Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) instead of I-64’s Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. The MMMBT is often less congested.

I-64 (Chesapeake, exits 289-291): Construction is under way on the Battlefield Boulevard project. While there will be no temporary lane closures over the holiday, motorists should expect delays between Greenbrier Parkway and Battlefield Boulevard.

VDOT lifted the HOV restrictions on I-64 from Indian River Road to Battlefield Boulevard. These lanes are open to all vehicles.

Visit www.i64info.com for the latest information on the project.

Outer Banks: Motorists heading to the Outer Banks might want to take I-664 and the MMMBT to avoid I-64/Battlefield Boulevard construction in Chesapeake.

Jamestown-Scotland Ferry: The ferry will be running on a reduced schedule Tuesday, Dec. 25. It will depart from the Scotland/Surry side on the hour and the Jamestown side on the half hour from 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 25, to 1201 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Lynchburg District

U.S. 460/15 Business (Farmville): The bridge is being reconstructed. There will be 11-foot-wide lanes.

Route 6 (29-636, Hickory Creek in Nelson County): The bridge is being rehabilitated. The westbound lane is closed, and the eastbound lane is restricted to a width of 10 feet 1 inch.

Route 6 (Norfolk and Southern Rail Bridge in Nelson County): The bridge is being rehabilitated. The eastbound lane is closed, and the westbound lane is restricted to a width of 10 feet 1 inch.

Route 92 over the Staunton River (Charlotte/Halifax county line): This area is closed indefinitely.

Northern Virginia District

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project (Interstates 95/495 - Capital Beltway, from the Telegraph Road interchange to the Maryland 210 interchange):

No lane will be closed from 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, until noon Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Lanes could be closed on the Beltway in Virginia near the Route 1 interchange from noon Wednesday, Dec. 26, until noon Friday, Dec. 28.

There will be periodic 20-minute stoppages of traffic on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge during overnight hours Wednesday, Dec. 26, and Thursday, Dec. 27. These will affect Beltway traffic in Virginia and Maryland near the bridge.

No lanes will be closed from noon Friday, Dec. 28, until noon Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Route 1/Jefferson Davis Highway (Prince William County):Due to construction to extend the cross drain pipe and installation of a headwall, the northbound right lane will be closed three-quarters of a mile north of Russell Road on Wednesday, Dec. 19, and Thursday, Dec. 20, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. each day.

I-95/395/66 and Dulles Toll Road HOV lanes: HOV restrictions will not be in effect on Tuesday, Dec. 25, and Tuesday, Jan. 1.

Richmond District

Interstate 295/64 flyover (western Henrico County): Expect 11-foot-wide travel lanes and concrete barriers along I-64 between Route 288 (exit 174) and I-295 (exit 177).

The speed limit has been reduced to 55 mph in this work zone.

I-95 North (Colonial Heights): The right shoulder is closed at the Temple Avenue interchange (mile marker 54). I-95 North motorists are encouraged to be alert to traffic merging onto the interstate from Temple Avenue.

(END)

Note to editors: For details about specific projects, please contact the district public affairs office for the project area. Those offices are listed at http://www.virginiadot.org/news/mediacontacts.asp.