I-81 North reopens after tractor trailer crash

UPDATE (3:15 p.m.):

All lanes are open and all backups have cleared.

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UPDATE (2:45 p.m.):

After a tractor trailer crash that closed all northbound lanes of Interstate 81 for more than an hour and a half on Friday afternoon, VDOT reports that all lanes have reopened.

Backups still stretch about two miles from the scenes and will take some time to clear, however.

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Drivers heading north on Interstate 81 through Augusta County should be prepared for major delays Friday afternoon in the Greenville area.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), a tractor trailer crash at MM 208.9 has closed the left shoulder, left lame, and right lane of the northbound side of I-81, as well as the left shoulder of the southbound side.

As of 1:30 p.m., VDOT reported backups on the northbound side extending at least three miles from that crash.

Virginia State Police tell WHSV a tractor trailer was driving south on Interstate 81 when traffic ahead of it began to slow down and stop due to a disabled vehicle on the right shoulder. The tractor trailer struck a guardrail and then ran through the interstate median before coming to a stop in the left lane of the northbound side of the interstate.

Police said there was a minor diesel spill, but it was not serious.

State troopers will continue to investigate the crash. No charges have been filed at this time.

For a while, a crash at MM 210 also had the southbound right lane and right shoulder closed, but that crash scene has since cleared.

Drivers should prepare to find alternate routes if at all possible. Additional congestion can be expected on Route 11 through Augusta County as drivers search for detours around the scene.