The Virginia Department of Transportation's project on I-81 in Bristol includes adding lanes in the median, reconstructing a bridge, and building sound walls to address congestion and safety concerns. Construction to be completed by 2025 with a focus on innovation in design and implementation.
Photo courtesy of Virginia DOT
The job of adding the lanes to I-81 near Bristol will last until 2025.
When the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began studying the numbers on I-81 in the Bristol area, the conclusion seemed obvious. With more than 50,000 vehicles traveling between exits 7 and 10, traffic was backing up. Congestion relief was needed. Adding a third southbound lane was the obvious solution.
As VDOT's design team dug into the information, they found that adding a third southbound lane would help alleviate that congestion and improve safety. As designers sketched out the project, they came to a happy discovery. By carving the new lane out of the median, the construction team also could add a third northbound lane for one mile at a reduced cost.
Photo courtesy of Virginia DOT
Gene Holley is the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP) coordinator of VDOT's Bristol District and Dave Covington is the VDOT I-81 program delivery director. Covington is responsible for CIP projects along the entire 325-mi. swath of I-81 that runs from the state's northern border to its southwest corner. Before the Bristol-area widening, Covington's team took on several smaller projects including interchange ramp extensions and operational improvements.
"Three truck climbing lane projects — one completed near Seven Mile Ford and two under construction near Chilhowie — will provide passenger vehicles a safer area to pass slower moving trucks along the mountainous terrain," said Covington. "VDOT also constructed additional digital message signs along the corridor. These digital message signs help alert drivers to upcoming traffic conditions and help them be prepared."
VDOT also developed a corridor-wide transportation management plan guidance document to help standardize how project work zones are designed. Covington said this makes drivers feel more comfortable when encountering multiple work zones along the corridor, enhancing safety.
Crashes along I-81 in this area were a concern. The job of adding the lanes will last until 2025 and will cost approximately $40 million.
"Building the new lanes in the median created challenges," said Holley. "Especially with vehicles entering and exiting into the traffic to deliver material. But getting the extra northbound lane included for minimal cost was a huge win."
Bridge Construction
Another challenge for the builders was reconstructing the southbound I-81 bridge over Old Dominion Road.
"The bridge was small but complex to widen," said Holley. "Building a precast structure solved some of the issues and provided a faster construction time. We also added a temporary traffic signal at Old Dominion Road to help provide access and maintain safety."
Photo courtesy of Virginia DOT
The fabricator was just two miles away. Using the precast bridge enabled the construction team to preserve access to a subdivision during construction. Residents have been able to get in and out via single-lane access. The new bridge will be approximately 22 ft. wider than the old one and will better accommodate three southbound travel lanes.
Crossroads Bridge of Rural Retreat, Va., is building the bridge while W-L Construction and Paving of Chilhowie, Va., is the general contractor for the job.
Workers from the W-L team had to dig out approximately 36 in. of material before beginning to build the new lanes. The project will require approximately 55,000 tons of dirt and clay to be removed then filled with at least 12 in. of stone and dense-graded aggregate. The new lanes will be 14 in. thick and built with 42,000 tons of asphalt.
The asphalt will be produced at W-L's plant, located just 10 miles from the construction site with the aggregate arriving from quarries approximately 10 miles away.
"We always try to use recycled asphalt when we can," said Jess Norman, project director of W-L Construction. "What we mill off a road we can use in the new pavement. We were given the approval to use between 20 and 25 percent recycled asphalt on this project."
Adding Sound Wall
The construction team also will build nearly 2,000 linear ft. of sound wall on both the north and southbound lanes. The panels will be concrete and be built on the outside shoulder to shield residents from the freeway noise.
The construction team is required to maintain two lanes of traffic during regular hours. Workers will tighten traffic to one lane during certain periods of night-time paving. This will be required as the I-81 bridge over Old Dominion Road is being rebuilt while accommodating active traffic.
Photo courtesy of Virginia DOT
Although building the new lanes in the median has resulted in some cost savings, the process has required ingenuity in both design and construction.
"The team will pave all the way to the concrete median barrier wall, which will separate the northbound and southbound traffic," said Norman. "We will still have room for a 10-foot shoulder for each lane."
The tight spaces led the construction team to bring in a barrier wall drilling machine. The equipment rests on top of the barrier wall and drills holes through the wall and into the pavement structure. The device securely pins the walls into place, a procedure that used to be done largely by hand.
In addition to being a permanent barrier wall, the structure will serve as part of the storm drain system. Water will drain through inlets in the wall into a system of pipes underneath the highway and into stormwater drains. The W-L team is building two new stormwater management basins as part of the project.
The construction team plans to complete some of the lanes by the end of this year, with the entire project slated to be finished by the end of 2025. This is a good fit with VDOT's plan to continue to upgrade the I-81 corridor easing congestion and improving safety. CEG
Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
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