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The Highways of Virginia Interstate 81 and Branches 
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I-81
From:TN Line at City of Bristol
To: WV Line above Clear Brook (Frederick County)
Total Length: 324 miles
Nationally I-81 runs from I-40 Dandridge, TN to the Canadian Border near Fishers Landing, NY, about 850 miles  
ROUTE LOG
TN STATE LINE: 0 - 0
EXIT 1 - US 58 WB, US 421: 1 - 1
EXIT 3 (old 2) - I-381: 2 - 3
EXIT 5 (old 3) - US 11, US 19: 2 - 5
EXIT 7 (old 4) - Old Airport Rd: 2 - 7
BRI-WA LINE: 1 - 8
EXIT 10 (old 5) - F-310: 2 - 10
EXIT 13 (old 6) - SR 611: 3 - 13
EXIT 14 (old 7) - VA 140: 1 - 14
EXIT 17 (old 8) - US 58 ALT, VA 75: 3 - 17
EXIT 19 (old 9) - US 11, US 58 EB: 2 - 19
EXIT 22 - SR 704: 3 - 22
EXIT 24 (old 10) - VA 80: 2 - 24
EXIT 26 (old 10A) - SR 737: 2 - 26
EXIT 29 (old 11) - VA 91: 3 - 29
EXIT 32 (old 12) - US 11: 3 - 32
SM-WA LINE: 1 - 33
EXIT 35 (old 13) - VA 107: 2 - 35
EXIT 39 (old 14) - US 11: 4 - 39
EXIT 44 (old 15) - US 11: 5 - 44
EXIT 45 (old 16) - VA 16: 1 - 45
EXIT 47 (old 17) - US 11: 1 - 46
EXIT 47 (old 17A) - US 11: 1 - 47
EXIT 50 - SR 622: 5 - 52
EXIT 54 (old 18) - SR 683: 4 - 56
WY-SM LINE: 1 - 57
EXIT 60 (old 19) - VA 90: 3 - 60
EXIT 67 (old 20) - US 11: 7 - 67
EXIT 70 (old 21) - US 21, US 52 NB: 3 - 70
EXIT 72 (old 22) - I-77 NB (exit 40): 2 - 72
EXIT 73 (old 23) - US 11 SB: 1 - 73
EXIT 77 (old 24) - Service Rd: 4 - 77
EXIT 80 (old 25) - US 52 SB, VA 121: 3 - 80
EXIT 81 (old 26) - I-77 SB (exit 32): 1 - 81
EXIT 84 (old 27) - SR 619: 3 - 84
EXIT 86 (old 28) - SR 618: 2 - 86
PU-WY LINE: 1 - 87
EXIT 89 (old 29) - US 11 NB, VA 100 SB: 2 - 89
EXIT 92 (old 30) - SR 658: 3 - 92
EXIT 94 (old 31) - VA 99: 2 - 94
EXIT 98 (old 32) - VA 100 NB: 4 - 98
EXIT 101 (old 33) - SR 660: 3 - 101
MO-PU LINE: 3 - 104
EXIT 105 (old 34) - VA 232: 1 - 105
EXIT 109 (old 35) - VA 177: 4 - 109
EXIT 114 (old 36) - VA 8: 5 - 114
EXIT 118 - US 460 WB: 3.5 - 117.5
EXIT 118C (old 37) - US 11, US 460 EB, US 460 Bus: 0.5 - 118
EXIT 128 (old 38) - SR 603: 10 - 128
RO-MO LINE: 2 - 130
EXIT 132 (old 39) - SR 647: 2 - 132
EXIT 137 (old 40) - VA 112: 5 - 137
EXIT 140 (old 40A) - VA 311: 3 - 140
EXIT 141 (old 41) - VA 419: 1 - 141
EXIT 143 (old 42) - I-581 (exit 1), US 220 SB: 2 - 143
EXIT 146 (old 43) - VA 115: 3 - 146
BO-RO LINE: 1 - 147
EXIT 150 (old 44) - US 220 NB, US 220 ALT: 3 - 150
HR-RIC LINE: 0 - 192
EXIT 156 (old 45) - SR 640: 6 - 156
EXIT 162 (old 46) - US 11: 6 - 162
EXIT 167 (old 47) - US 11 SB: 5 - 167
EXIT 168 (old 48) - SR 614: 1 - 168
RB-BO LINE: 5 - 173
EXIT 175 (old 49) - US 11 NB: 2 - 175
EXIT 180 (old 50) - US 11: 5 - 180
EXIT 188 (old 51) - US 60: 8 - 188
EXIT 191 (old 52) - I-64 WB (exit 56): 3 - 191
EXIT 195 (old 53) - US 11: 4 - 195
EXIT 200 (old 53A) - SR 710: 5 - 200
EXIT 205 (old 54) - SR 606: 5 - 205
AU-RB LINE: 1 - 206
EXIT 213 (old 55) - US 11: 7 - 213
EXIT 217 (old 55A) - SR 654: 4 - 217
EXIT 220 (old 55B) - VA 262: 3 - 220
EXIT 221 (old 56) - I-64 EB (exit 87): 1 - 221
EXIT 222 (old 57) - US 250: 1 - 222
EXIT 225 (old 58) - VA 275: 3 - 225
EXIT 227 (old 59) - SR 612: 2 - 227
EXIT 235 (old 60) - VA 256: 8 - 235
AU-RO LINE: 1 - 236
EXIT 240 (old 61) - VA 257: 4 - 240
HAR-RO LINE: 2 - 242
EXIT 243 (old 62) - US 11: 1 - 243
EXIT 245 (old 63) - SR 659: 2 - 245
EXIT 247 (old 64) - US 33: 2 - 247
RO-HAR LINE: 1 - 248
EXIT 251 (old 65) - US 11: 3 - 251
EXIT 257 (old 66) - US 11, VA 259: 6 - 257
SH-RO LINE: 6 - 263
EXIT 264 (old 67) - US 211, VA 211: 1 - 264
EXIT 269 (old 68) - SR 730: 5 - 269
EXIT 273 (old 69) - VA 292: 4 - 273
EXIT 277 (old 70) - SR 614: 4 - 277
EXIT 279 (old 71) - VA 185: 2 - 279
EXIT 283 (old 72) - VA 42: 4 - 283
EXIT 291 (old 73) - SR 651: 8 - 291
EXIT 296 (old 74) - US 48, VA 55: 5 - 296
EXIT 298 (old 75) - US 11: 2 - 298
WR-SH LINE: 0 - 298
EXIT 300 (old 76) - I-66 (exit 1): 2 - 300
FD-WR LINE: 0 - 300
EXIT 302 (old 77) - SR 627: 2 - 302
EXIT 307 (old 78) - VA 277: 5 - 307
EXIT 310 (old 79) - VA 37: 3 - 310
EXIT 313 (old 80) - US 17, US 50, US 522: 3 - 313
EXIT 315 (old 81) - VA 7: 2 - 315
EXIT 317 (old 82) - US 11: 2 - 317
EXIT 321 (old 83) - SR 672: 4 - 321
EXIT 323 (old 84) - SR 669: 2 - 323
WV STATE LINE: 1 - 324
 Creation: First appeared as unlabled dotted lines in the Bristol and Harrisonburg areas in 1959.
Adjustments: In 1961, I-81 was open: US 52 Ft. Chiswell to VA 100 Newbern; Buchanan to Rockbridge County Line; Between the US 11 exits around Harrisonburg.
In 1962, I-81 was open from the Tennessee State Line to I-381
In 1963, I-81 was completed from VA 140 to US 11-58 around Abingdon and also around Chilowhie, and a segment around Marion.
In 1964, I-81 gaps were completed from I-381 north to US 11 north of Marion; I-81 was extended south around Buchanan
In 1965, I-81 was extended from Marion north to US 11 west of Wytheville
In 1966, I-81 was completed around Wytheville; I-81 was extended north from Newbern to US 11-460 Christiansburg; I-81 was completed from Buchanan down to Dixie Caverns and from Natural Bridge to US 11 Fancy Hill; A new section of I-81 opened between US 11 Strasburg and the last Virginia exit (Clear Brook)
In 1967, a new section of I-81 opened between US 11 north of Lexington to US 11-340 Greenville; The Harrisonburg section was also connected to Strasburg in the north and VA 256 Weyers Cave to the south.
In 1968, I-81 was extended into WV and I-81 was also completed between the two US 11 Lexington exits.
In 1969, I-81 was extended from Weyers Cave to US 11-340 Greenville.
In 1972, I-81 was completed between Christiansburg and Dixie Caverns.
Finally, in 1986, the section east of Wytheville was completed (The 1963 Official Map erroneously showed most of this last section as completed interstate).
Posting: Fully posted
Comments: At 324 miles, this is the longest Interstate highway in Virginia. In the SW, it's deceptively long, as you seem to be getting closer to Tennessee, but are actually going more west than south.  
From Dave:
Whenever I'm on this road, I think the Ford demonstration music tape my family listened to endlessly on a 1987 trip to Tennessee, featuring such classic songs as "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday and "Headed For The Future" by Neil Diamond.  Diamond's song was the theme for the 1987 Phillies, who were actually headed for three straight last-place finishes.  Oops, now I'm getting off topic....


I-81 is often very crowded with fast moving truck traffic. Proposals are being studied to widen the road and/or provide separate truck lanes.
I-81 totally blows off US 11 (w. of Marion), US 11 (Adkins), US 11 (n of Troutville), VA 43, VA 254, and VA 263
Additional detailed info on I-81 exists on Scott Kozel's site
I-381
From:I-81, US 58 (City of Bristol)
To: VA 381 City of Bristol
Total Length: 1.5 miles  
ROUTE LOG
VA 381: 0 - 0
I-81 (exit 3), US 58: 1.5 - 1.5
 Creation: I-381 is shown as complete on the 1961 Washington County Map, although I-81 is shown as under construction. The 1962 Official Map shows both as open.
Adjustments: None
Comments: Very short spur from I-81.  Starts as I-381, ends as VA 381 a half mile short of Euclid Ave. (jct. US 11/11E/11W/19/421)  Dave remembers in 1987 there seemed to be construction to build a whole new interchange at I-81.  He assumes this is done by now (after all, this isn't Pennsylvania).
I-381 is Virginia's shortest 3di, and the first to be completely finished in Virginia. I-381 has no exits other than at I-81. There is no exit for VA 381, the road just stops being a freeway.
Additional detailed info on I-381 exists on Scott Kozel's site
I-581
From:I-81 Exit 143, US 220 NB
To: VA 24, US 220 SB City of Roanoke
Total Length: 6 miles  
ROUTE LOG
EXIT 1 - I-81 (exit 143), US 220 NB: 0 - 0
EXIT 2 - VA 117: 1 - 1
ROA-RO LINE: 0 - 1
EXIT 3 - VA 101: 1 - 2
EXIT 3C - Valley View Blvd: 0.5 - 2.5
EXIT 4 - US 11 ALT, US 220 Bus, US 460, VA 116: 2.5 - 5
EXIT 5 - US 11, US 220 Bus, US 221, VA 116: 0.5 - 5.5
EXIT 6 - US 220 SB, VA 24: 0.5 - 6
 Creation: Showed up as a dotted line in 1963 or 1964. The first segment to open was from I-81 to US 11A-460-VA 116 in 1966.
Adjustments: I-581 was extended south to VA 24 between 1968-70.
Posting: Fully posted; the endpoint at VA 24 is marked in both directions.
Comment: Entire route has always been coexistent with US 220.  Not the only Interstate that can claim this, but perhaps the only legitimate one :).
Entire route is 6 six lanes.
Exits are still (as of May 2005) labeled E-W instead of A-B.
If I-73 is ever built it would use 581's routing.
Additional detailed info on I-581 exists on Scott Kozel's site
Last Update: 10 July 2005

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