VDOT photo
Excavation work continues on I-77 where work is under way to improve the exit 41 on and off ramps in Wythe County.
The article below originally appeared in and is posted with permission from:
https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Interstate 81 cuts a 325-mi. swath across Virginia from the northwest part of the state, connecting motorists heading for Maryland and Pennsylvania, to the North; it connects drivers traveling southwest to Tennessee. Near Wytheville, this important corridor intersects with Interstate 77 where drivers travel north into West Virginia and south into North Carolina.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has a select team of experts who operate under the banner of "Improve 81." With an eye on enhancing safety, reducing congestion and unlocking the region for further economic growth, the team decided to bundle multiple projects together in the Wytheville area.
The Wytheville bundles began in 2024 and are scheduled for completion in 2027.
VDOT photo
• Orders Construction has been tasked with replacing three bridges on I-81 in addition to improving traffic flow by extending the acceleration lane at exit 41 (Peppers Ferry Road) to the deceleration lane for the exit to I-81 southbound. The design-build contract is worth $54 million.
• A team from Branch Civil will reconfigure I-77 exit 41 (Peppers Ferry Road) and add an auxiliary lane between southbound I-81 exit 73 (Route 11) and exit 72 (I-77 interchange). The Progress Parkway Connector Road also is included in this bundle for a $53.5 million contract.
Robert Baker, VDOT Bristol district's construction engineer, pointed out an advantage of bundling projects.
"Bundling projects saves money through economies of scale," he said. "For example, the Progress Park project will remove a large quantity of material, and the project where the contractor is working near exit 41 will have a deficit of material. By bundling projects, the contractor will be able to move the excess material to where it will be valuable on the other project."
The construction teams on the entire bundle of projects will move some 633,000 cu. yds. of dirt and rock. Later in the projects, paving teams will lay down some 107,000 tons of asphalt using pavers and rollers. The work on the bridges will require more than 414,000 lbs. of steel.
Safety is always a high priority for VDOT projects. However, the contractors faced a difficult safety concern with a large rock formation in the median of the I-81/I-77 part of the project. The rock needed to be removed because it is the site of the new road alignment.
Blasting
"Rock blasting is a high-risk operation that requires specialized personnel to accomplish the task," said Kayla Thacker, project manager of the design-build projects with Orders Construction. "The blast experts create a blasting plan considering the number of explosives that should be used and the after blast effects. That includes the particle size, particle velocity and travel distance. An accurate blasting plan ensures that operations are done safely and keeps debris and particles out of the road."
An extra level of precaution involves the police setting up slow rolls or rolling roadblocks. "A slow roll slows and controls traffic to clear a section of the roadway," said Thacker. "This allows workers access to an entire roadway for a short time. Slow rolls usually last less than 10 minutes per blast."
Nearly 90,000 cu. yds. of rock were pulverized by the blasts, allowing removal so construction of the lanes could begin.
VDOT photo
Zachary Jones is leading Branch's work in Wytheville. In addition to the work in Wytheville, Branch also is contracted to provide improvements to I-77 in Fort Chiswell, where they are adding a truck-climbing lane as I-77 northbound (coming from N.C.) approaches I-81. In 2024, Branch focused on getting major structure work and erosion/sediment control in place to make way for other construction this year.
"After our work for the box culverts on the job was approved, we fabricated them, then worked on delivery schedules to place the box sections," said Jones.
Jones outlined an aggressive plan for his work team.
"There is some grading work to complete, but the big lift in the Progress Park project area will be completing the drainage and getting the temporary storm basins converted into their permanent configuration. With Branch completing the stream crossings, we have been able to execute the grading of the project in the most efficient manner according to our haul plan," he said. "For 2025, our goal is to complete the largest fill on the project (350,000 cu. yds.), which is the fill for the new I-77 northbound on/off ramp."
Jones sees the work as crucial to transportation needs in the area.
"This is an exciting opportunity to provide improvements for the community on a heavily traveled section of highway," he said. "During major holidays and the summer vacation/travel season, congestion is a real issue with the convergence of 77/81 in Wythe County." CEG
