VDOT welcomes start of summer travel season by lifting lane closures for Memorial Day weekend

As Memorial Day weekend approaches and the unofficial start of summer gets underway, the Virginia Department of Transportation is encouraging motorists to travel safely and plan ahead for what is expected to be one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

With families preparing for backyard cookouts, lake trips, camping excursions and holiday gatherings, state transportation officials are reminding drivers that safe and sober driving remains a top priority.

To help ease congestion during the holiday weekend, VDOT announced that many highway work zones and temporary lane closures on interstates and major roads across Virginia will be suspended from noon Friday, May 22, through noon Tuesday, May 26. Officials noted that some semi-permanent work zones may still remain in place, and motorists are encouraged to stay alert while traveling.

Drivers can monitor traffic conditions, crashes, construction and congestion through VDOT’s free 511 Virginia system. The service includes a mobile app, live traffic cameras, weather information, electric vehicle charging station locations and hands-free audible traffic alerts for travelers using the “speak ahead” option by dialing 511. Traffic information is also available online through VDOT’s 511 travel portal.

The 511 Virginia website also features a Memorial Day travel trends map designed to help motorists avoid historically congested travel times on Virginia interstates during the holiday period.

The travel reminder also coincides with Celebrate Transportation Day on May 21, an annual observance recognizing the importance of transportation systems in supporting mobility and quality of life throughout the Commonwealth.

Virginia’s transportation history dates back to the earliest days of English settlement in America. According to the Jamestown Settlement museum, one of the colony’s earliest roads, known as the “road along the River Bank,” was used to move supplies between ships and the Jamestown fort. Portions of the historic “Greate Road” connecting Jamestown Island and Glasshouse Point can still be identified today.

As settlement expanded, those early routes eventually connected to landmarks including Green Spring, home of Governor Sir William Berkeley, and Middle Plantation, later renamed Williamsburg.

Historic destinations such as Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg are now featured in the Virginia 250 Passport program, a statewide initiative encouraging residents and visitors to explore Virginia’s historic sites ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Motorists needing assistance while traveling can contact VDOT’s 24-hour customer service center online or by calling 800-FOR-ROAD to report hazardous road conditions or request travel assistance.