VDOT upgrades Afton

AFTON – VDOT has upgraded the fog light system on Afton Mountain and a 5-mile stretch of Interstate 64 to a system of LED lamps that have a longer life, require less maintenance and are 75 percent more energy efficient.

Dean Gustafson, regional operations director for VDOT’s Staunton and Culpeper districts, said Tuesday that the project took about 10 months to accomplish and cost about $1.3 million in maintenance funds.

The new LED system replaces incandescent lights in operation since the mid 1990s.

The 841-lamp fog light system serves a 5-mile stretch of the interstate roadway edge from milemarker 98 to milemarker 104.

The light system’s purpose is to help drivers see the roadway edges and avoid running off.

Gustafson said VDOT now has visibility sensors on Afton Mountain that send alerts to the agency’s traffic operations center in Staunton to activate the fog lights.

“But we still need motorists to reduce speed and increase their distance between other cars,’’ Gustafson said.

He said there are drivers traveling as fast as 70 miles per hour in the foggy conditions on I-64 when they should be going 50 miles per hour.

“Drivers need to slow down and drive for the conditions,’’ he said.

Changeable message signs located on the interstate alert drivers to the foggy conditions at Afton, Gustafson said.

The fog light system is designed for airports and is the sole non-runway use in Virginia.

The first system was installed on Afton Mountain in 1976, and was manually controlled from a building located at the mountain’s summit.

Meanwhile, Gustafson said Thanksgiving holiday travelers in the area should prepare for heavy volume today on Interstate 64 west and said Sunday would be the busiest travel day of the year on both interstates 64 and 81.

He also urged motorists to be prepared for possible adverse weather during the holiday.

“Drivers should pay attention to the weather and buckle up,’’ he said.

VDOT also urges holiday travelers to get updated information by calling 511 or visit www.511Virginia.org for real-time traffic information.