Tuesday, March 19, 2024

VDOT eases holiday travel, postpones I-64 lane closures

VDOT is postponing lane and ramp closures for the I-64 widening project to create stress-free traveling for those in Hampton Roads.

In an attempt to make Thanksgiving travel easier, the Virginia Department of Transportation is pausing all lane closures and offering a new traffic app.

VDOT is postponing lane and ramp closures for the I-64 widening project from Wednesday to Nov. 27 to create stress-free traveling for those in Hampton Roads, according to a VDOT news release.

While not necessarily all of the construction areas will be paused, most of the major locations will be closed, the release said. The closures will begin at noon on Wednesday and continue through noon on Monday.

For travelers, the postponed lane closures will mean less stress and a faster traveling experience, the release said. The 511 app offered by VDOT offers a new generation of updates to help drivers plan and navigate trips.

VDOT already has predictions for the way traffic will occur, though. Most of the traffic is expected to occur from mid-morning to evening on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the following Sunday, the release said. Routes to and from NOVA are predicted to experience more congestion on Tuesday and Saturday as well.

According to the VDOT website, the 511 app allows drivers to see incidents and construction before becoming stuck on the road. Another benefit of the app is that it allows users to see up-to-date traffic cameras so that travelers can have an even greater advantage over traffic.

VDOT will also offer a Thanksgiving travel-trends map through the app, which will show users past congestion trends in order to plan a better route. The travel-trends map covers a span of three previous Thanksgiving holidays as well as shows the expected congestion in northern Virginia on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving based upon the previous data, according to the VDOT website.

The map shows varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion.

The map is created through VDOT’s partnership with the app Waze, which is a GPS app that helps users to navigate traffic. To use the map to its full potential, users should utilize the 511 app in conjunction with the Waze app, according to the release. Both of the apps are free.

VDOT predicts that most of the holiday traffic will occur from mid-morning to evening tomorrow and on Sunday.

The Highway Advisory Radio will be available on 1680 AM radio. The station will help drivers stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information, the release said.

Local lane, ramp and road closures will resume Monday.

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