Virginia Department of Transportation officials say bridge beam placement work will require overnight closures on Interstate 81 and westbound Route 33 in Harrisonburg as part of the ongoing bridge and interchange project at exit 247.

Traffic restrictions are scheduled from Monday through Thursday nights, Oct. 21-24, and into the early morning hours of Friday, Oct. 25.

Motorists should expect significant delays during this time. Virginia State Police will guide a series of slow-roll closures, which are also called rolling roadblocks, on I-81 in the Harrisonburg area between 11 pm and 5 am.

Details are as follows:

  • Monday thru Thursday nights (Oct. 21-24), slow-roll closures will be in place for northbound I-81 starting at mile marker 241.6 and southbound I-81 starting at mile marker 253. There will be temporary closures of the northbound I-81 entrance ramps at exit 243 (Route 11 south), exit 245 (Port Republic Road) and exit 247 (Route 33), and the southbound I-81 entrance ramp at exit 251 (Route 11 north).
  • Monday thru Thursday nights (Oct. 21-24), the I-81 northbound exit ramp 247B to westbound Route 33, will be closed nightly between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Due to equipment staging for the bridge work, westbound Route 33 will be closed to through traffic at the I-81 exit 247 interchange, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights (Oct. 21-24).

Westbound Route 33 drivers will detour using Burgess Road to Evelyn Byrd Avenue to Reservoir Street to Carlton Street, and then back to Route 33. The entrance ramp from eastbound Route 33 to southbound I-81 will remain open.