HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — Construction is expected to begin in Spring for widening Interstate 81 in Harrisonburg.

Last week the Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $218.9 million contract to Triton Construction Inc. of St. Albans, W.Va., to widen about six miles of Interstate 81 in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

The project adds a third lane northbound and southbound from about one mile south of exit 243 (Route 11/South Main Street) to about one mile north of exit 247 (Route 33/East Market Street). Eight bridges along the interstate main line will be replaced, as will the Pleasant Valley Road overpass bridge.

The Harrisonburg-area widening has a contract completion date of June 2032, but the new travel lanes are expected to open to traffic by late 2031.

“This is one of the largest and most ambitious projects along the corridor,” said Dave Covington, I-81 Program Delivery Director for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). “Triton Construction is in the final stages of exit 247 improvements, and will be able to move seamlessly into the widening project.”

The first several months of construction will include strengthening of right shoulders and installation of temporary concrete barrier walls to protect the work zone. Both of these operations will take place during nighttime and overnight hours.

I-81 widening will take place toward the median, within the existing VDOT right of way. A concrete barrier will separate northbound and southbound traffic. The project also constructs about four miles of noise-barrier wall, upgrades stormwater management systems, and replaces the signalized intersection of Early Road and Pleasant Valley Road with a roundabout.

“This is a long-awaited project for I-81 drivers and for Harrisonburg,” said Joel DeNunzio, VDOT Staunton District Engineer. “We will engage with the community every step of the way so they know what’s happening and how it will affect them.”

VDOT says they are planning extensive public outreach before the start of construction and at various stages of the project.