STAUNTON – An eastbound right lane closure is scheduled for Route 33 (East Market Street) in the city of Harrisonburg from 8 a.m. Monday, January 9, through 3 p.m. Tuesday, January 10. This 31-hour lane closure will extend from the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way to the intersection of Burgess Road. It allows contractors to perform grading and paving operations for a temporary widening of Route 33.

The January 9-10 work is part of a project to replace the two Route 33 bridges over Interstate 81 at Exit 247 and the two railroad bridges just west of the interchange. A work-zone speed limit of 25 miles an hour is in place for the duration of the project, which is expected to last into 2026.

The work zone is closed to pedestrian traffic. All work is weather permitting.

The four bridges were built in 1960 and have reached the end of their service life. A single new bridge will replace the Route 33 eastbound and westbound bridges over I-81. A single new bridge will replace the Route 33 eastbound and westbound bridges over Norfolk Southern Railroad and Blacks Run. Reconstruction of Route 33 will be done at the new bridges’ approaches. All the new bridges will have two lanes in each direction with reconstructed approaches.

The project includes a new shared use path in the median of Route 33 beginning at the Burgess Road and Linda Lane intersection, extending across the new bridges to Martin Luther King Way.

The northbound side of the interchange will receive improvements in both the southeastern and northeastern quadrants, which will eliminate the weave movements occurring on I-81 at the deceleration and acceleration ramps.

The project will remove the southeastern quadrant loop ramp, which currently serves traffic from Route 33 eastbound to northbound I-81. In the area of the removed ramp, the northbound I-81 deceleration lane to the westbound Route 33 ramp will be extended.

In the northeast quadrant Route 33 eastbound traffic will enter northbound I-81 from a new ramp constructed to connect with the existing northbound I-81 acceleration ramp. A new left-turn lane with a new traffic signal will be built for eastbound Route 33 traffic to enter the northbound acceleration ramp.

Additional construction on the southeast quadrant includes a spur ramp from the northbound I-81 deceleration ramp to eastbound Route 33. This spur ramp will serve traffic making the left turn onto Linda Lane. The dual left-turn lanes along eastbound Route 33 at Linda Lane will be extended to accommodate the new spur ramp. A narrow raised median between the left-turn lane and westbound Route 33 will be constructed.

The southbound side of the interchange will receive improvements in both the southwestern and northwestern quadrants, which will provide additional space.

In the southwest quadrant, the westbound Route 33 left-turn lane onto the southbound I-81 acceleration ramp will be reconstructed and extended. In the northwest quadrant, the southbound I-81 deceleration ramp onto westbound Route 33 will be realigned in order to provide a longer merge area onto Route 33.

In all four quadrants, as needed, there will be reconstruction of merge lanes and tie-ins from acceleration and deceleration ramps around the bridges.

Project updates can be found on the VDOT website:
https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/harrisonburg-city-8211-interstate-81-exit-247-ramps-and-route-33-bridges-over-i-81-and-norfolk-southern-railroad.asp

For updated traffic alerts and traveler information, dial 511 or visit 511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. Follow VDOT on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

(END)