Intimidating traffic and severe accidents on state roadways, especially Interstate 81, have prompted state and federal government officials to take steps toward improving highway safety.
High traffic volumes on I-81 have attracted the attention of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-6th) and U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-10th). They are working with the Virginia Department of Transportation to implement safety technology measures along I-81, and expect a report on the subject in January.
Technology measures would include electronic signs and weather sensors to inform drivers of conditions, experts said.
"I-81 is an obvious place to implement technology because of the high volume of traffic," said Brian Smith, director of the University's Smart Travel Laboratory.
VDOT also is working on a long-term project to widen I-81 to six lanes, at a projected cost of $3.4 billion, said Andy Farmer, news information manager for VDOT.
"It's one of the biggest highway projects that VDOT would undertake," Farmer said.
High traffic rates and a high number of deaths in recent years have caused heavy press coverage and growing public concern about I-81, especially on the stretch between Wythe and Rockbridge counties, a hilly, curving section of road going through the Shenandoah Valley.
Last year 26 people died along this stretch. Fifteen people have died this year.
In reaction to accident-related deaths, Gov. James S. Gilmore III (R) in February ordered state police to increase monitoring.
Since then, police have tallied 26,005 summons and arrests along I-81, according to police statistics.
"I think we're seeing better compliance," State Police Capt. Charles Compton said.
Compton said the largest source of accidents is driver inattention, but he said the high traffic volume - including a high percentage of trucks - contributes to the problem.
"I feel like a lot of the problems we're seeing is that it's carrying more traffic than it was designed to," he added. "I-81 is carrying a tremendous amount of traffic."
Compton said truck traffic exceeds an estimated 40 percent of the total road traffic at times.
On average, trucks are not involved in accidents more than cars, State Police First Sgt. Paul Dulaney said.
But the high truck traffic explains motorists' fears of I-81 and the high cost of accidents, which are about 10 times higher than elsewhere, said Ray Pethtel, associate director of the Center for Transportation Research at Virginia Tech.
"North or south-bound, sometimes you just see truck after truck after truck," Pethtel said, noting the percentage of truck traffic can reach 60 percent of total road traffic.
According to a Roanoke Times analysis of federal data, I-85 has the highest death rate of state highways and I-64 carries the greatest likelihood of accidents.
Many of the accidents on I-64 occur on the section going over Afton Mountain near Charlottesville during fog, State Police First Sgt. A.C. Worsham said.
"Any time we have fog or inclement weather," motorists have problems, Worsham said.
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