The I-81 Corridor in Virginia: Transportation Issues and Opportunities

Interstate 81 connects the six states of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, with a total length of about 850 miles. It is the main highway link between southern economic hubs and the northeast. In Virginia, I-81 spans 325 miles through predominantly rural and rolling terrain. This section carries a heavy volume of commercial truck traffic, and caters to a significant number of intercity trips. With its strategic location, I-81 is important to both commercial and passenger traffic. In order to identify the transportation issues and opportunities for advanced technology and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications, Virginia Tech’s Center for Transportation Research undertook a study. Data on traffic volumes, accident statistics, truck travel, work zone issues and intercity travel was collected. A survey of truckers on I-81 was also conducted. A preliminary analysis of the data has revealed four issues of concern: 1) Work Zone Safety and Control; 2) Traffic Safety; 3) Trucking Issues; 4) Intercity Traveler Needs. These issues are elaborated in this paper. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) offer a number of opportunities to address corridor issues. Twenty of the twenty-nine ITS user services developed as part of the National ITS Program Plan are seen to be applicable to corridor needs. In particular, the potential for near term ITS deployment is immense, as indicated by the many user services that relate to corridor issues. A coordinated and concerted effort on part of all the agencies concerned with the corridor, to plan, design and implement ITS will go a long way in turning I-81 into a model ITS corridor.