Christmas Travel Across Virginia: What You Need to Know

Uriah Kiser December 17, 2024 at 9:00am

To make holiday travel smoother, VDOT will suspend many highway work zones and lift temporary lane closures on interstates and major roads across the state. This will occur from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24, until noon on Thursday, Dec. 26, and from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31, until noon on Thursday, Jan. 2.

While most lane closures will be lifted during these periods, travelers should be aware of semi-permanent work zones that may remain in place. It’s a good idea to stay updated on the latest travel alerts by checking VDOT’s Travel Advisories for real-time information about road conditions across the state.

To help plan, VDOT offers a variety of resources for travelers. The free mobile 511 app provides construction, traffic, incidents, and congestion information. It also gives access to live traffic cameras, weather updates, and details on electric vehicle charging stations, helping travelers make informed decisions along their routes.

As holiday traffic increases, staying vigilant behind the wheel is essential. In Virginia, the Thanksgiving holiday saw seven fatalities on the state’s roadways—an improvement from previous years but still a sobering reminder of the dangers of travel.

Virginia State Police reported a decrease in fatalities compared to previous years, with 2023’s death toll at 11 and 2022’s at 19. Despite the positive trend, the state police continue to stress the importance of wearing seat belts. In the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday period, only two of the fatalities involved victims who were confirmed to be wearing seat belts.

“Virginia State Police is pleased that we continue to see the number of fatalities decrease, although we want that number at zero,” said Lt. Col. Matt Hanley, Interim Superintendent of Virginia State Police in a press release after Thanksgiving. “However, we still are seeing too many people not buckling up when they are in a vehicle. It can save lives. Please wear a seatbelt and make this a safe rest of the holiday season.”

State Police Efforts to Increase Road Safety

To help reduce crashes, the Virginia State Police participated in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort) during the Thanksgiving holiday. The initiative led to the issuance of 404 seatbelt violations, 116 citations for child restraint violations, and 77 arrests for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), including one for drugs. Over 3,600 speeding violations and more than 1,700 reckless driving citations were also issued.

State troopers responded to 1,182 crashes during the five days, 129 of which resulted in injuries.

I-95 E-ZPass Express Lanes Christmastime Reversal Schedule

The following is the schedule for the Daytime Reversal for the week of December 19-27.

On Thursday, December 19, the reversal will begin at 10 a.m. (early), with southbound traffic opening at approximately 11:30 a.m.
On Friday, December 20, the reversal will begin at 10 a.m. (early), and southbound traffic will open around 11:30 a.m.
On Saturday, December 21, the reversal will occur at 2 p.m. (regular), and northbound traffic will open around 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, December 22, there will be no reversal, and northbound traffic will remain open throughout the day.
On Monday, December 23, the reversal will begin at 10 a.m. (early), with southbound traffic opening around 11:30 a.m.
On Tuesday, December 24, the reversal will again begin at 10 a.m. (early), with southbound traffic opening at approximately 11:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, December 25, there will be no reversal due to the holiday, and northbound traffic will remain open all day.
On Thursday, December 26, the reversal will begin at 10 a.m. (early), with southbound traffic opening around 11:30 a.m.
Finally, on Friday, December 27, the reversal will start at 10 a.m. (early), with southbound traffic opening around 11:30 a.m.