The Virginia Department of Transportation said construction on part of I-81 this month will cause some inconvenience for truckers and other travelers.
Construction to improve I-81 northbound at exit 17 in Abingdon will create 24-hour lane closures on multiple days during two weeks in June, weather permitting, VDOT says. Abington is located between Roanoke and Knoxville, Tennessee, in southwest Virginia.
The first lane closure will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 5, and will remain in place until 6 a.m. Thursday, June 9. The closure is necessary to replace the left travel lane and left shoulder of the northbound bridge deck above Route 75.
The second lane closure will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 12, and will remain in place until 6 a.m. Thursday, June 16. This closure will replace the right travel lane and right shoulder of the northbound bridge deck.
Local traffic is advised to seek alternate routes to avoid interstate traffic backups, which have the potential to be significant during peak afternoon travel times. Motorists traveling through the area should research alternate routes to avoid congestion or travel through the work zone during non-peak travel times such as mornings and overnight hours.