STAUNTON, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Watch for overnight traffic restrictions on Route 250 where I-81 passes over it in the Staunton area due to some bridge work next week beginning Monday night through Thursday. VDOT crews are setting steel girders for the widening of the southbound I-81 bridge over 250 and eastbound 250 will be restricted to one lane from 8pm Monday through 7am Tuesday. During that work, State Police will periodically stop eastbound 250 traffic and traffic on the southbound 81 ramp to 250 for 15-minute intervals.

Tuesday night, same thing for westbound 250 traffic, and northbound 81 ramp traffic onto 250… but the times are different, 10pm Tuesday through 5:30am Wednesday. There are eastbound or westbound 250 lane closures all nights through early Friday morning. Work schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions and other factors.

The bridge work is part of a project to add a third lane to northbound and southbound I-81 between Exit 221-I64 and Exit 225-Route 262 Staunton. The Staunton-area widening, which includes widening of five bridges, is part of the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Program, or CIP.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $101 million design-build contract in March 2023 to Kokosing Construction Company Inc. of Westerville, OH. Completion is scheduled for summer 2027. Additional information about the I-81 Staunton-area widening is on the VDOT project page.

The $3 billion CIP includes 65 construction projects plus operational improvements along I-81 in Virginia to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and unlock the region for further economic growth. Find out more at Improve81.org. The website includes interactive maps, videos and podcasts, and details about upcoming and current projects.

Other major I-81 CIP projects in the VDOT Staunton District include:

* Weyers Cave-area truck-climbing lanes (under construction)
* Strasburg-area southbound widening (under construction)
* Harrisonburg-area widening (construction starts in 2026)
* Winchester-area widening (construction starts in 2028)

For updated traffic alerts and traveler information, dial 511 or 511Virginia.gov.