The Virginia Department of Transportation advises motorists to expect blasting on Interstate 81 near Strasburg starting next week.

The contractor on a project to widen I-81 plans to conduct controlled blasting to remove rock in the median near mile-marker 297 in the Strasburg area, according to a VDOT news release. Blasting is scheduled to take place once or twice a week between 10 a.m. and noon Tuesdays-Thursdays through early December.

Just before each controlled blast, Virginia State Police will use a slow roll to briefly stop I-81 northbound and southbound motorists between exit 296 (Va. 55/John Marshall Highway) and exit 298 (U.S. 11). A slow roll is a traffic-management operation where a traffic gap is created by reducing approaching traffic speeds to as low as 10 mph, the release

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