Interstate 81

Overview

Following the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, Interstate 81 provides a major trucking corridor and link from the Southeastern States and Tennessee Valley northward to the Northeastern Megalopolis. Interstate 81 does not enter major metropolitan areas; it instead serves an array of small to mid-size cities.

The route commences from a rural directional T interchange near Dandridge, Tennessee to run northeast across agronomical areas and forest land along the west side of the Appalachian Mountains to the Tri-Cities region. A spur route, I-181, once continued I-81 with Kingsport and Johnson City. It was renumbered in 2003 as a northern extension of Interstate 26 from Asheville, North Carolina.

Crossing into Virginia past the 2-state metropolis of Bristol, Interstate 81 combines with U.Southward. 58 to Abingdon. A short spur, I-381, links I-81 with the Bristol metropolis heart as the freeway bypasses the customs to the n. Further east, Interstate 81 combines with Interstate 77 along a "wrong-way" overlap, where I-77 southward combines with I-81 north and vice versa due to their east-w orientation between Wytheville and Fort Chiswell.

I-77 leads n to Charleston, West Virginia and south to Charlotte, adding truck traffic from the Carolinas to Interstate 81 as it progresses northeast to Christiansburg, Roanoke and Lexington. I-581 represents the second urban spur for Interstate 81, equally it combines with U.South. 220 south through Roanoke while the parent freeway stays north by Salem.

Interstate 64 combines with I-81 from Lexington northeast to Staunton as part of its east-west route betwixt Beckley, West Virginia and Roanoke, Virginia. Additional truck traffic funnels onto I-81 s from central Virginia via I-64. Northward from their overlap, I-81 continues to Harrisonburg, Strasburg and the westward end of I-66, and Winchester to exit the state through the Eastern Panhandle Due west Virginia.

The short stretch through the Backwoodsman Land takes I-81 through the urban area of Martinsburg. The department concludes at the Potomac River and Williamsport, Maryland. The freeway stays urban forth the westward side of Hagerstown between the crossroads with I-seventy and Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR). Truck traffic remains heavy as the route enters the Keystone State nearby.

Fishing northeast, Interstate 81 and its companion U.S. 11 pass through Chambersburg and Carlisle en route to the Harrisburg area. U.S. 11 provides the connection to Interstate 76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) in lieu of direct access as I-81 turns more easterly toward the capital city. U.South. 11 meanwhile turns north along the Susquehanna River, leaving the freeway to follow U.S. 22 to Interstate 78 and an independent road northeast to Hazelton and Wilkes-Barre.

U.Due south. 11 rejoins the I-81 corridor at Wilkes-Barre, following surface routes northeast to Scranton while I-81 hugs the east side of the urban area to I-84/380 and the U.S. 6 throughway spur to Carbondale. West from there, I-81 passes between urban Scranton and Dickson City to briefly combine with U.S. 11 to the north terminate of Interstate 476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike – Northeast Extension).

The residual of Interstate 81 generally travels north along side U.S. 11 between Scranton and the G Islands Bridge into Canada. An urban stretch takes I-81 through the city of Binghamton, where NY 17/I-86 overlap to the Prospect Mountain Structure Project. The long term rebuild of I-81/86 between NY vii and their split over the due west banks of the Chenango River was completed on Dec 1, 2019. I-86 follows the Southern Tier of New York west to Elmira and Corning while I-81 joins Binghamton with Cortland and Syracuse.

Through Syracuse, I-81 passes through the city center while Interstate 481 provides a suburban bypass to the e. The I-81 Viaduct Project written report evaluated options for addressing the aging viaduct effectually Downtown. The Preferred Alternative is the Community Filigree, which replaces a portion of I-81 with an at-form boulevard and relocates I-81 over I-481.

Beyond Syracuse, I-81 travels along a generally rural grade east of Lake Ontario to Watertown, where Interstate 781 spurs east to Fort Pulsate. The northern extent of I-81 ties into the Thou Islands Span system spanning the St. Lawrence Seaway to the throughway along Ontario Highway 401 in Canada.

Parallel U.Due south. Routes

U.Southward. 11 parallels freeways for the majority of route from New Orleans n to Watertown, New York. I-81 runs along the US highway from east of Bristol, Virginia to Upstate New York, with the exception of between Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Through Tennessee, U.S. 11 partitions into the branches of 11E and 11W, along the Interstate 81 corridor between Knoxville and Bristol. U.S. 22 also parallels the state highway from Harrisburg northeast to I-78 virtually Jonestown, Pennsylvania.

Interstate 81 through Syracuse

Constructed in the 1950s and 60s, the i.four mile long elevated viaduct of Interstate 81 through Syracuse is deteriorating and in need of replacement. The substandard pattern as well does not run into electric current Interstate standards. An environmental review process was initiated by the New York State Section of Transportation (NYSDOT) and Federal Highway Assistants (FHWA). Preliminary engineering commenced in 2015 to evaluate various alternatives proposed for addressing future transportation needs along Interstate 81 and for the city of Syracuse.

Those considered include a major overhaul of the Syracuse freeway network, where I-81 would be relocated along Interstate 481 and the through-route of I-81 exist severed and replaced past state-maintained urban boulevard to the s and a freeway spur from the n. Associated work of the estimated $1.9 billion, Customs Grid programme would redesign the north and south ends of I-81 to provide two through lanes in each direction with 65 MPH design speeds. Other alternatives include replacing the elevated route of I-81 through Syracuse with a mod viaduct at the toll of $2.2 billion. Open houses and a series of public meetings preceded the selection of the preferred culling by NYSDOTeight.

State officials selected the Community Grid selection in April 2019. Boosted public meetings followed and comments on the Draft Ecology Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Community Filigree are being taken by the FHWA and NYSDOT until September 14, 2021.

The American Clan of State Highway Officials (AASHO) approved conditionally both the elimination of I-81 through the urban center of Syracuse and the realignment of I-81 in place of I-481 at the Spring 2021 Meeting. Business Loop I-81 was likewise approved in place of the existing I-81 between southward Syracuse and the town of Cicero.

History

Tennessee'due south portion was completed by 1975.4 Further due north in Virginia, Interstate 81 opened between November 1959 and July 1987. The get-go portion of whatever Interstate highway opened in W Virginia was the segment of I-81 through Berkeley County in 1961.7 The Maryland portion of Interstate 81 first opened in 1962 between U.S. 40 and the Maryland country line. Completion of the southern segment inside the Free State followed by the mid 1960s.3

Interstate 81 within Pennsylvania opened in segments between 1960 and 1976.2 Within New York, Interstate 81 was established in 1957, with construction completing the route between 1967 and 1969.5

A branch road of Interstate 81 was designated from Scranton southeast to Pocono Township in northeastern Pennsylvania. Initially proposed as part of Interstate 82 by Pennsylvania on August 14, 1957, the route was renumbered past the American Clan of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on June 27, 1958 as Interstate 81S.6 This later was renumbered again to I-81E and ultimately to Interstate 380 as confirmed past AASHO on June 20, 1972.

A 4.i mile section of I-81 in the urban center of Syracuse, New York opened to traffic north from U.S. xi (Leave 16) at Neadrow to Get out 17 (Calthrop Avenue) in December 1965. Completion of this segment immune motorists to save six to 8 minutes of travel time over parallel U.S. 11 along Salina Street. Construction finished a year and 45 days alee of schedule. By late December 1965, Interstate 81 was extended another a 22.7 miles s to Polkville (Get out 10).10

The final portion of Interstate 81 in New York built was the 4.96 mile segment crossing Wellesley Island. Opened over a twelvemonth ahead of schedule, barricades were removed along the new section without fanfare at eleven AM on November 18, 1970. The four lane freeway linked the Thousand Island Bridge with the International Rift Bridge.11

Tolling Interstate 81 in Virginia

Discussed past the land of Virginia in Dec 2003 was the idea of how to best expand Interstate 81 throughout the Commonwealth. Several proposals emerged due to the state's Public-Private Transportation Deed. Of these, two concepts were considered the front runners:

  • Star Solutions Proposal. Expand Interstate 81 to eight overall lanes with a separation between motorcar and truck lanes. This major overhaul was estimated to cost upwards of $ten.9 billion and to be funded with truck tolls, which were legalized on trucks past the Virginia Full general Assembly in 2001.
  • Fluor Virginia Proposal. Expand Interstate 81 to 6 lanes, with the implementation of car and truck tolls. Notably, automobile tolls were non legally permitted on existing Interstate highways in Virginia at the time. This concept entailed a $7 billion price tag.

The major concern with the first option was that creator of the plan to aggrandize the freeway to eight lanes, Star Solutions, included a request for a "noncompete" clause in its contract. That meant that VDOT was disallowed from undertaking whatever new projects that would increment the capacity or overall amend any highways within the I-81 corridor for the forty-year life of the Interstate 81 bonds. This ruddy tape would have impacted U.S. 11, U.S. 29 and Interstate 95 among other due north-southward routes in the state.

Under the Fluor Virginia concept, issues arose with the concept of tolling cars. While tolls were legal for trucks, they remained prohibited on automobile traffic, requiring an amendment by the General Associates for the Fluor Virginia programme to get forward.one

With either option, construction was not expected to begin until at least 2007. However subsequent developments led to the counterfoil of all proposals related to tolling Interstate 81.

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  • North End – Alexandria Bay, NY

  • South Stop – Dandridge, TN

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  • Cities – Morristown, Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol

  • JunctionsI-70

Source: December 31, 2018 Interstate Route Log and Finders Listing

I-81 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

Eastern Tennessee - 1970
Northeastern Tennessee – 1970 Tennessee Official Highway Map

The southernmost 12 miles of Interstate 81 and the brusque stretch leading into Virginia were open up to traffic past 1970. Per the 1973 Tennessee Official State Map, all of I-81 was under construction, with the route open up northward to U.Due south. 11E virtually Mohawk Crossroad and southward to SSR 126 at Blountville.

Eastern Pennsylvania - 1965
Interstate 81 between the I-78 and I-lxxx corridors – 1965 Pennsylvania Official Highway Map

Construction was underway from Go out 145 n to the Butler Drive overpass along I-81 in 1965. The stretch would open between PA 93 (old PA 29) north to I-80 in 1967.2

Northern New York - 1963
Interstate 81 corridor through Upstate New York – 1963

Segments of I-81 open past 1963 included the portion from Park Street and Onondaga Lake Parkway (NY 370) in Syracuse to NY 342 (onetime NY 181) due north of Watertown and a bypass of U.S. xi to the west of La Fayette. Additionally the Chiliad Islands Bridge, dedicated on August 18, 1938, was incorporated as the I-81 connectedness to Ontario, Canada.

Due north End – Canadian International Edge – Alexandria Bay, New York

I-81 Northward

I-81 north at NY 12 - Alexandria, NY

Interstate 81 meets NY 12 at a cloverleaf interchange (Exit 50) between the town of Orleans and Alexandria, merely ahead of the ane,000 Islands Bridge. Photo by Doug Kerr (09/x/11).

I-81 north at 1000 Islands Br - Orleans, NY

I-81 reduces to two lanes beyond the tolled one,000 Islands Bridge spanning the St. Lawrence River onto Wellesley Isle. Photo by Doug Kerr (09/10/xi).

I-81 north at Island Rd - Wellesley Island, NY

I-81 due north reaches the last U.S. exit for Island Road (CR 191) and De Wolf Indicate just s of twin 90 foot arch bridges over the international rift boundary to Colina Island, Ontario.9 CR 191 connects the north end of I-81 with Wellesley Island and Dewolf Betoken State Parks as it leads southward along Lake of the Isles. Photograph by Douglas Kerr (11/08/02).

I-81 South

I-81 south at Island Rd - Wellesley Island, NY

The showtime confirming marker for Interstate 81 due south stands simply beyond the port of entry at the diamond interchange with Island Route (CR 191). Photograph past Douglas Kerr (09/10/11).

I-81 south at Island Rd - Wellesley Island, NY

Interstate 81 expands to 4 lanes across Wellesley Island to a folded diamond interchange (Exit 51) with CR 100 (Island Road). Photo by Douglas Kerr (09/10/11).

I-81 south at Island Rd - Wellesley Island, NY

Go out 51 departs I-81 south for CR 100 and parallel CR 191 (Island Road) north. Interstate 81 reduces to ii lanes ahead of the Thousand Islands Bridge crossing the St. Lawrence River. Photo by Douglas Kerr (08/26/12).

I-81 Thousand Islands Bridge

The Thousand Islands International Span Organization travels 8.5 miles overall from Ivy Lea, Ontario to Collins Landing, New York.9 Tolls are collected in the southbound management on the Canadian side of the border. Photograph by Douglas Kerr (08/26/12).

I-81 Thousand Islands Bridge

The four,500 foot long span over the American channel of the St. Lawrence River crests at a height of 150 feet. Ground breaking for the two lane interruption bridge took place on August 30, 1937. The span was completed ten weeks ahead of schedule in August 19389 Photo by Douglas Kerr (08/26/12).

East at

Highway 401 east at Highway 137 - Leeds Grenville, ON

Approaching Highway 137 (Get out 661) south on Highway 401 (Macdonald-Cartier Freeway) east nigh the community of Selton. Interstate 81 spans the Raft Narrows (St. Lawrence River) along a combination of a 750-foot long intermission bridge from the mainland south to Georgina Island, and a 600-pes Warren Truss span betwixt Constance and Hill Islands.9 Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/27/07).

Highway 401 east at Highway 137 - Leeds Grenville, ON

An Interstate 81 trailblazer precedes the trumpet interchange (Get out 601) with Highway 137 southward to Hill Island on Highway 401 east. Highway 137 comprises a 4-lane freeway s to Thousand Islands Parkway. Photo by Jeff Morrison (06/27/07).

I-81 North End Throwback

Ontario Highway 401 east at Highway 137 - 2002

Replaced sign span for Highway 401 (Macdonald-Cartier Throughway) east at Highway 137 south (Get out 661). Highway 401 constitutes a 515 mile long limited access road between Windsor, near Detroit, Michigan, and Quebec near Cornwall, Ontario. Photograph past Douglas Kerr (11/08/02).

Ontario Highway 401 west at Highway 137 - 2002

Inbound the township of Leeds and the Thou Islands, motorists along Highway 401 (Macdonald-Cartier Expressway) west passed by the initial guide sign for Exit 661 and Highway 137. Removed by 2009, a supplemental sign was added in its identify referencing the Thou Islands Span arrangement to I-81 south. Photograph past Douglas Kerr (11/08/02).

Ontario Highway 401 west at Highway 137 - 2002

A new sign bridge was posted further e for Get out 661 on Highway 401 Macdonald-Cartier Freeway by 2009. The Macdonald-Cartier Freeway continues westward 30 kilometers to Kingston and 235 kilometers to Toronto. Highway 137 travels two kilometers south to the Thousand Islands toll plaza. Photograph by Douglas Kerr (11/08/02).

I-81 south at I-40 - White Pine, TN

Interstate 81 advances south two miles to I-40 (Exits 1A/B) from a residue expanse virtually the community of Kansas. All guide signs for I-xl on I-81 south were replaced by 2013. 01/16/19

I-81 south at I-40 - White Pine, TN

Crossing Dry Branch, a diagrammatic sign follows for the directional T interchange (Exits 1A/B) with I-40. 01/16/xix

I-81 south at I-40 - White Pine, TN

Two lanes default onto Exit 1B for the thirty-mile drive along Interstate 40 w to Knoxville. A grade level directional ramp curves southward to merge onto the left side of Interstate 40 due east ahead of Douglas Lake and Newport. 01/sixteen/nineteen

I-40 West at I-81

I-40 west at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Interstate 40 crosses Douglas Lake ahead of SR 113. The freeway continues northwest two miles to meet Interstate 81. Photo by Carter Buchanan (06/10/17).

I-40 west at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

TDOT traffic counts forth this stretch were recorded at 29,677 vehicles per mean solar day (vpd) in 2018. The appearance of traffic from I-81 south swells the 2018 count to 71,311 vpd beyond Go out 421. Photograph by Peter Johnson (03/28/21).

I-40 west at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

I-81 leads northeast to the Tri-Cities Region along a rural course to Bristol. Photo by Peter Johnson (03/28/21).

I-40 west at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

I-81 leads eighty miles northeast from Exit 421 to Bristol on the Virginia state line. Photograph by Peter Johnson (03/28/21).

I-40 west at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Interstate 40 turns west from I-81 and expands into a 6 lane freeway en route to Dandridge, Sevierville and Knoxville. Photo by Peter Johnson (03/28/21).

I-40 East at I-81

I-40 east at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Late 1990s construction forth I-40 widened the freeway to six lanes with a bulwark median to the separate with Interstate 81 north (Exit 421). Like to I-81 south, a rest area precedes their exchange along I-forty e. 05/31/07

I-40 east at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Interstate 40 eastbound expands to four lanes to Left Go out 421 with I-81 north. The state highway turns southward from I-81 along a winding and scenic route across the Bald and Keen Smoky Mountains. 05/31/07

I-40 east at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Passing over Koontz Creek and Valley Home Route (SR 66), Interstate 40 continues to within a one-half mile of Exit 421 with I-81 north. I-81 north to I-26 south provides an alternating route to North Carolina in case of emergency closures along Interstate 40 through Pigeon River Gorge due to rock slides or choppy weather. 05/31/07

I-40 east at I-81 - Dandridge, TN

Ii thirds of the traffic forth Interstate 40 due east shifts to I-81 due north toward the Tri-Cities and southwest Virginia. I-40 heads due south and then due east on the fourscore mile drive to Asheville, North Carolina. Photo by Jeffrey Napier (01/02).

I-81 south at I-40 - 2007

Ii miles ahead of I-xl on Interstate 81 southbound. 05/31/07

I-81 south at I-40 - 2007

Replaced overhead for Interstate 40. 06/25/12

I-81 south at I-40 - 2007

The previous overhead for Exit 1B displayed merely i lane for I-twoscore west. 06/25/12

I-40 Westward at I-81

I-40 west at I-81 - 1998

A diagrammatic sign replaced separate panels for I-twoscore and 81 on the ane mile approach to the directional interchange at Exit 421 past 2007. Photo past Jim M. Georges (07/98).

I-40 Due east at I-81

I-40 east at I-81 - 1995

Prior to the tardily 1990s expansion of Interstate xl eastbound from two to three lanes, this set of guide signs directed motorists for the upcoming divide with I-81 due north. 05/29/95

I-40 east at I-81 - 1995

Replaced by 1998, nondescript guide signs previously directed motorists one half mile ahead of the I-forty e and I-81 northbound divide. 05/29/95

I-40 east at I-81 - 1995

Overheads at the Get out 421 separation indicated merely one through lane for I-40 east to Asheville and I-81 north to Bristol. 05/29/95

Sources:

  1. "VDOT Criticizes two Consortium's Plans to Widen I-81." Roanoke Times (VA), November 15, 2003.
  2. Pennsylvania Highways: Interstate 81.
  3. MDRoads: I-81.
  4. Interstate 81 in Virginia (RoadstotheFuture).
  5. Interstate 81 in New York. Wikipedia.org.
  6. Interstate organisation route numbering spider web site http://www.nwindianahwys.homestead.com/INTER_MAIN.HTML, Stephen Summers.
  7. "Research panel predicts state road fund shortage." Charleston Gazette (WV), June 22, 2006.
  8. "Rethinking I-81: Eastern suburbs could come across new highway names, interchanges, lanes." The Postal service-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November sixteen, 2016.
  9. 75th Anniversary Fact Canvas, One thousand Islands Bridge Authorization.
  10. "Interstate 81 Ready to Please When Open. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 23, 1965.
  11. "81 Segment Completed at Wellesley." The Mail-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 19, 1970.

Folio updated July 28, 2021.