Archer Western leads the I-81 Corridor Improvement Program in Virginia, focusing on a section between exits 137-141. The $179 million project aims to add third lanes and bridge replacements, with efforts to improve safety and reduce congestion. The team faces challenges due to weather and unexpected geotechnical issues, but progress is meeting VDOT's goals for enhanced road infrastructure.
VDOT photo
The construction team is installing more than 2.6 mi. of sound barriers.
Planners at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) keep their eyes on trouble spots: congestion, bottlenecks and high-crash areas. I-81, on the western edge of the state, is high on the watch list.
This important 325-mi. corridor traverses a rugged mountainous area and connects cities like Winchester, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Roanoke and Bristol. Visitors to Shenandoah National Park and Virginia Tech also are frequent travelers on I-81. Nearly one-fourth of the traffic is trucks, so the highway is an important commercial artery, as well.
The I-81 Corridor Improvement Program helps VDOT keep the highway in focus. The state passed a regional fuels tax in 2019, which provides the necessary resources for improvements to this vital roadway.
VDOT's Salem District has identified a section of the interstate between exits 137 and 141 as an area needing improvement. Work began in that section in 2022 with most of the work scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. Workers will handle some finishing touches on the project in early 2026.
Jeff Mays has been the project manager of Archer Western, Herndon, Va., under a design-build contract. He has worked closely with Duane Mann, area construction engineer of the VDOT Salem District. The contract is valued at $179 million.
Mann said the work this year has been hampered by troublesome weather.
"The storms that caused devastation in Asheville, N.C. and parts of Tennessee did not cause as much damage here but did slow down our work schedule considerably. The damage on other roadways caused traffic to be rerouted onto I-81 and impacted our work."
The goal of the project was to add a third lane northbound and southbound with most of the construction taking place in the median. Although equipment, workers and materials could be concentrated in that area, this approach created its own set of challenges. Construction vehicles had to enter and leave the work zone by exiting into high-speed lanes of traffic. To ensure safety, the project team identified the most appropriate ingress and egress points. Additional signage and flashing lights were incorporated to draw attention to vehicles entering and exiting the work site.
"One of our important milestones was to improve movement from exit 137 onto Wildwood Road," said Mann. "A second milestone was called ‘area 4.' Located between exit 140 and 141, this section was one of the first to feature the final configuration of the northbound and southbound lanes."
Mays and his team at Archer Western began work by strengthening the outside shoulders and widening them slightly so they could receive traffic. Once that work was complete, workers moved the traffic toward those shoulders and began work on the new lanes in the median.
"We were pleased to find no significant issues with the subgrade for the new lanes, and our paving team had a normal run," said Mays. The equipment used GPS technology to help with proper placement of the material. The team used QR codes to aid in safety inspections.
Abandoned Brick Factory
The construction team took on a significant addition when it helped reclaim land abandoned by an old brick factory near the work zone. Although not required by contract, the Archer Western team decided to use some interesting construction tactics to do the state a favor.
"Although the brick company went out of business in the mid-1980s, the department of mining permit had never been closed," said Mays. "We took on the permit and put some 350,000 cubic yards of excess material from our project into those 75 acres. The area is no longer as dangerous and can be used for other purposes."
Additional pieces of the project included replacing northbound and southbound bridges over Route 112, Route 635 and Route 619. The steel-beamed bridges over Route 311 are being widened.
The construction team found some geotechnical surprises in the bridge replacements.
"Our team worked drastic pile driving variances within a small footprint," said Mays. "One pile needed to go only 30 feet deep while the adjacent pile next to it had to go 200 feet deep to find the foundation we needed. It was all according to the geology of the area."
Route 311 carries traffic into Salem's Main Street and past Roanoke College. Workers needed to do almost half their work at night while demolishing barriers on the outside part of the bridge to add new lanes.
"The work meant our team had to jack up the bridge, add a couple of steel beams and install new bearings," said Mays. "This meant the bridge now has a higher elevation, allowing taller vehicles safely to pass beneath it. We will also cover the surface of the bridge with a fresh latex overlay."
The team needed to use temporary shoring for the bridge work and used cranes and normal paving equipment.
Mays called the work for the three new bridges "standard" and estimated that they are capable of lasting 100 years.
In addition to the bridge work and building new lanes, the construction team will be installing 2.6 mi. of sound barriers to shield the local residents from the noise created by an additional lane of traffic. Tricor Construction, a DBE firm, is building the sound walls.
"The placement of the walls is based on FHWA guidelines," said Mays. "We are doing what is reasonable, feasible and cost effective. Our team is about 50 percent done with that part of the job."
VDOT is pleased with the progress of the project as it makes I-81 safer and more useful.
"Already the monthly accident rate has decreased," said Mann of the agency. "I've been in this area since 1999 and I have seen traffic volume increase, especially trucks. People use this highway for commuting and traveling to nearby cities like Roanoke. When this project is finished, people will notice significant changes in drivability, safety and congestion relief." CEG
(All photos courtesy of VDOT and Archer Western. VDOT states the display of images and/or reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Virginia Department of Transportation.)
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.
Read more from Chuck MacDonald here.
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