Delays clear after crash that shut down I-81 South near Mt. Crawford

UPDATE:

All lanes of Interstate 81 are reopen and all backups have cleared after a crash on Friday afternoon that temporarily shut down southbound lanes.

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The right lane of the southbound side of Interstate 81 near Mount Crawford has reopened after a crash on Friday afternoon.

Initially, all southbound lanes were closed due to a crash at mile marker 238.9 – nearly a mile and a half south of Exit 240 for Mount Crawford and Bridgewater – causing backups to quickly grow.

But, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), as of 12:31 p.m., the right lane had reopened and only the southbound left shoulder and left lane remained closed.

Backups stretched about two and a half miles.

Many drivers are detouring around the scene by leaving the interstate at Exit 240 to take Rt. 257 to Rt. 11 and then return to the interstate at Exit 235 in Weyers Cave.

With backups on the interstate, additional congestion can be expected on southbound Route 11 from Harrisonburg to Weyers Cave.