Afton Mountain I-64 work to continue next week

There's no immediate relief in sight for commuters and travelers after VDOT announced another week of work and closures on I-64 at Afton Mountain, as reported by NBC-29.

Stabilizing Afton Mountain adjacent to the I-64 westbound lanes will take longer than originally reported and, while the drivers understood the necessity of the work, it did not help soothe frazzled nerves due to the backups. Commuters who regularly drove over the mountain found themselves in long lines of traffic causing frustration, some arriving late for work and appointments.

 VDOT's press release notifying the media of next week's closures:

I-64 EMERGENCY PROJECT WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK

Traffic restrictions resume April 29-May 2 while unstable soil is removed from Afton Mountain slope

CULPEPER – Intermittent traffic restrictions on Interstate 64 between Charlottesville and Waynesboro will resume next week during operations to remove unstable soil from Afton Mountain above the highway at milepost 100.3 in Albemarle County.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 29, traffic on I-64 will be restricted in both directions for 30-45 minutes. The restrictions will continue through the day, ending between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The westbound right shoulder will be closed and work zone activity will begin at 7 a.m. each day but traffic will not be restricted before 9 a.m. The work is expected to continue through Thursday, May 2.

The restrictions will affect traffic from Exit 107 (Route 250/Rockfish Gap Turnpike) at Crozet to Exit 96 (Route 624/S. Delphine Avenue) at Waynesboro. Drivers should expect significant congestion and delays; passenger vehicles are encouraged to use Route 250 as an alternate route. Message boards along I-64 will advise motorists of the closures and expected congestion in the area.

Motorists should check VDOT's traffic information web site, www.511virginia.org, or call 511 for real-time information about traffic conditions and delays.

Afton Mountain I-64 delays this week

Update 4/22 & 4/23/13: I-64 Afton delays cause long backups, frazzled drivers

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Expect delays this week on I-64 from Afton Mountain (MP 99) to the Ivy exit (MP 114) as VDOT works to "remove an unstable area of soil" on the mountain adjacent to the interstate, according to the Daily Progress:

The right lane and shoulder on Interstate 64 west from milepost 103 to 100 will be closed from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily as the Virginia Department of Transportation begins work to remove an unstable area of soil on Afton Mountain just above the highway. The emergency work began Thursday.

Traffic along I-64 from Exit 114 at Ivy to Exit 99 at Afton also will be restricted in both directions for 30-45-minute intervals approximately four times each day, starting Monday.

According to VDOT, motorists should expect significant congestion and delays. Passenger vehicles are encouraged to use U.S. 250 until traffic restrictions end April 25.

Be safe out there.

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

Driving I-70 in Colorado is like an extreme sport

Rockslide that closed 17 miles of I-70 in Colorado on Monday
caused this damage in Glenwood Canyon.
Photo from The Daily Sentinenal

If you've ever driven I-70 through the Colorado Rockies, you know the beauty ... and danger ... of that area. This week's rock slide that sent huge boulders onto the roadway was just the latest in a long list of avalanches, rock slides, and wild animal sightings that make any drive through those majestic mountains an exciting event, to say the least.

I've not seen it better described than by Anna Basquez in How driving I-70 in Colorado is like an extreme sport who begins by saying:

I write this as a passenger in a car driving in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 amid Colorado's steep, climbing Rocky Mountains. Between the dangerous rockslides, the avalanches, crossing deer and elk, and hazardous weather, including ice and fog, a typical traveler's destination -- winter sports -- won't be the first extreme mountain adventure of the day."

It's a major headache to have I-70 closed because the detour is 200 miles which adds up to four hours onto the trip. There is just no other way to go in those mountains except some dirt roads reminiscent of gold mining days:

I-70 is the main connection between the West Coast and Denver. It runs through the narrow canyon, following the path of the Colorado River, then climbs into ski country. After passing through the resort town of Vail, the road tops out at 11,000 feet before descending to Denver and connecting with the rest of the interstate highway system.
...
In the meantime, motorists are advised to take a 200-mile detour through the northwestern part of the state.

Colorado's Gov. Bill Ritter moved quickly after the rockslide blocked 17 miles of interstate:

Gov. Bill Ritter issued a disaster declaration on Monday afternoon, allowing the state to seek funding from the Federal Highway Administration to help pay for repairs, which could take weeks. An initial estimate of repair costs has not been released.

Alternate routes for travelers are listed here.