Interstate 81 in West Virginia
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North end | I-81 at Maryland state line | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | West Virginia | |||
Counties | Berkeley | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Interstate 81 (I-81) in the
Route description
I-81 enters the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia just west of
Just northeast of Martinsburg, the freeway passes under CSX Transportation's Cumberland Subdivision rail line while a cloverleaf interchange with WV 9 provides access back to Martinsburg and to Hedgesville.[5] As the freeway curves back east, it intersects WV 901 between Hainesville and Falling Waters. WV 901 is a short connector route back to US 11. North of Falling Waters and south of Marlowe, US 11 intersects the freeway and continues north while I-81 turns east toward the Maryland state line at the Potomac River. Just south of the river is a welcome center intended for southbound travelers from Maryland.[4]
Out of the six states that I-81 passes through, the segment in West Virginia is the second shortest, only longer than the Maryland segment.[6] Every year, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2009, WVDOT calculated that as few as 45,000 vehicles traveled along the highway at the Virginia state line and as many as 62,500 vehicles used the freeway between CR 15 and CR 13 in Martinsburg.[7] As part of the Interstate Highway System,[8] the entire route is listed on the National Highway System, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[9]
History
I-81 roughly parallels the
Bids for construction of I-81 by WVDOT were published in 1959, with a budget of about $10.6 million (equivalent to $84.8 million in 2023[12]) to complete the highway.[13] Completion of I-81 in Virginia up to the West Virginia state line was completed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in November 1965.[14] The first six miles (9.7 km) of the highway through West Virginia were completed between 1959 and 1963.[2] The construction of the remaining 20 miles (32 km) of Interstate Highway through the Eastern Panhandle was completed by 1966.[15] Since then, there have been no major realignments, and the highway continues on its original path.[4]
Future
In 2014, WVDOT officials announced in conjunction with the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) that the bridges over the Potomac River would be rehabilitated to accommodate three lanes of highway in each direction. The widening of the highway is proposed to head south along I-81 to exit 23 for US 11. Construction started in the middle of 2016.[16][17]
Exit list
The entire route is in Berkeley County.
Location | mi[4] | km | Exit[18] | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I-81 south – Winchester, Roanoke | Virginia state line | ||||
Inwood | 5.0 | 8.0 | 5 | WV 51 – Inwood, Charles Town | |
Tablers Station | 8.5 | 13.7 | 8 | CR 32 (Tablers Station Road) | Access to Eastern WV Regional Airport |
Martinsburg | 11.7 | 18.8 | 12 | WV 9 east (Winchester Avenue) / WV 45 – Charles Town | |
13.1 | 21.1 | 13 | CR 15 (King Street) | ||
14.2 | 22.9 | 14 | CR 13 (Dry Run Road, Tennessee Avenue) | ||
16.0 | 25.7 | 16 | WV 9 (North Queen Street) – Berkeley Springs | Signed as exits 16E (southbound) and 16W (northbound); cloverleaf interchange. Directional suffixes a carryover from sequential exit numbering. | |
Spring Mills | 20.4 | 32.8 | 20 | WV 901 (Spring Mills Road) | |
Marlowe | 23.5 | 37.8 | 23 | US 11 – Marlowe, Falling Waters | |
26.0 | 41.8 | — | I-81 north – Hagerstown | Maryland state line | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
See also
References
- ^ "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 9780870121098. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7627-4218-9. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Google (February 5, 2011). "Interstate 81 in West Virginia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ General Highway Map - Berkeley County, West Virginia (PDF) (Map). 1:63,360. West Virginia Department of Transportation. January 1, 2008. § E3. Retrieved February 5, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. October 31, 2002. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ I81 - Virginia to Maryland (PDF) (Map). West Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Slater, Rodney E. (Spring 1996). "The National Highway System: A Commitment to America's Future". Public Roads. 59 (4). Retrieved January 24, 2011.
- ^ National Highway System: West Virginia (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. March 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-1854-3. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^ White's Topographical, County & District Atlas of West Virginia. Counties of Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson (Map). 1:310,000. M.W. White. 1873. p. 22. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ISSN 0013-807X.
- ^ "Economic Development History of Interstate 81 in Virginia". Federal Highway Administration. November 5, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "West Virginia Highways: Classification Systems, Characteristics and Usage" (PDF). As a Matter of Fact... West Virginia Department of Transportation. 1997. pp. II–8. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "I-81 Potomac River Bridges to Undergo Makeover". WHAG-TV. January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ McVey, John (January 16, 2014). "State plans construction project to widen I-81 to Potomac River bridges". The Journal. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "West Virginia Interstate 81 Interchanges". West Virginia Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
External links
- Media related to Interstate 81 in West Virginia at Wikimedia Commons
- Interstate 81 in West Virginia on AA Roads