2008.09.27
Accident on I-81
See more pictures from this accident
A tractor-trailer that hit a bridge on Interstate 81 caused major delays in Botetourt County for much of the afternoon, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The accident occurred around noon on I-81 southbound at mile marker 167 near Buchanan. Traffic was backed up about 9 miles as of around 3:30 p.m., according to VDOT. VDOT spokeswoman Heidi Coy said all lanes were clear by 5:15 p.m.
Coy said that a tractor-trailer hit the left side of a bridge over Purgatory Creek, resulting in a 70 gallon diesel and oil spill that closed the right northbound lane. The lane was closed while crews cleaned up the spill. A bridge inspection crew was also at the scene to survey the damage.
-- Jessica Marcy | The Roanoke Times
Photos by S. J. Carter | Special to The Botetourt View
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When I heard the sirens go off yesterday, I said to the person standing next to me at The Catawba Emporium in Buchanan--it's a great day for another wreck on I-81 (not knowing at the time there had been one on the service road just recently, as well!, it's raining again and the road is slick--we just had one last week near that little 1/2 exit." There seems to be something wrong in the dynamics of the road at that spot as there are so many wrecks there, but I am no engineer...just a local resident, who uses this road several times a day. On my way home, before very far, I started meeting a stream of south bound traffic on Route 11, so I knew for sure, them. As I neared I-81 northbound entrance, you could see the flashing/warning lights; I was able to continue homeward on the service road, but I pulled over at a safe place to call my son, SJ Carter, a photographer whose office is very nearby to come take some photos and he did. This spot is where another accident occured about 1 week prior to this one--and he did. (On a personal note, having been a victim of a drunk driver wreck along with my husband a friend a number of years ago, you can understand my fear of these things happening to anyone! Our local state police, fire and resque squads here in Botetourt get a lot of practice with I-81 stretching across our county, and they all do an exceptional job, along with the VDOT folks, in spite of the weather and other challenges. I want to say thank you to each of them, but I also want someone to look at why this particular spot seems to be such a problem area. Most of us who live north of town have to travel old route 11 to get to and from town or roads to go east or west from this area, as well as teh school buses going and coming each day. IF there were someway to correct a fault that could be identified and remedied, it would be a great blessing to all of us locally, as well as the folks traveling on I-81 to their own destinations. Sept. 28, 2008
Comment by Gloria Carter — September 28, 2008 @ 1:24 pm