| Interstate 581 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by VDOT | ||||
| Length: | 6.35 mi[1] (10.22 km) | |||
| Existed: | late 1950s – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | US 220 / SR 24 in Roanoke | |||
| North end: | I-81 / US 220 near Hollins | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System Virginia Routes
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Interstate 581 (I-581) is a spur off Interstate 81 into Roanoke, Virginia, United States, completely overlapping U.S. Route 220.
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The I-581 designation ends at the Elm Avenue (State Route 24) interchange in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, where US 220 continues south as the Roy L. Webber Expressway. I-581 was constructed as a six lane highway for its entire length and has not been widened in its history.
Most of I-581's exits are cloverleaf interchanges, which can cause weaving. The northern terminus has short merge areas with I-81, especially the left merge in the southbound direction. While traffic volumes can be high, especially near downtown Roanoke and Valley View Mall, bumper to bumper traffic is not common.
Roanoke Regional Airport, Valley View Mall, and the Roanoke Civic Center are all located adjacent to I-581. The Hershberger Road (State Route 101) exit has become a focus of development. In addition to Valley View, two large hotels were constructed in the early 1980s with another group of hotels being constructed from the mid 1990s through the present. In 2002, local CBS affiliate WDBJ constructed its new facility, designed to broadcast in HDTV, on Hershberger Road near I-581.
The southern end of I-581 offers views of the downtown Roanoke skyline, most prominently the Hotel Roanoke, the Wachovia Tower, the former Roanoke Shops of Norfolk Southern, the Norfolk Southern tower, and St. Andrews Catholic Church. The Mill Mountain Star is also clearly visible.
The road is planned to become part of an extension of Interstate 73 in Virginia.
In 1980, the highway was extended approximately 3.3 miles (5.3 km) from the Elm Avenue interchange to State Route 419 near Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County. US 220 continues as a four lane arterial road south of the SR 419 interchange. Since the extension was not constructed to full Interstate Highway standards, it only carried the US 220 designation and was named the Roy L. Webber Expressway after a former mayor of Roanoke. The primary interchange along the expressway is at Wonju Street, which links Franklin Road (U.S. Route 220 Business) and Colonial Avenue and Brandon Avenue (U.S. Route 11). This exit provides quick access to downtown Roanoke from residential areas in southwest Roanoke. Wonju Street is named after Wonju, South Korea, one of Roanoke's sister cities. The expressway was originally constructed with four lanes but was widened to six lanes in the mid 1990s.
| County | Location | # | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | 1 | I-81 / US 220 north – Lexington, Staunton, Bristol | Signed as exits 1S (south) and 1N (north) | |
| 2 | SR 117 (Peters Creek Road) | Signed as exits 2S (south) and 2N (north) | ||
| City of Roanoke | ||||
| 3 | SR 101 (Hershberger Road) – Roanoke Regional Airport | Signed as exits 3W (west) and 3E (east) | ||
| 3C | Valley View Boulevard - Roanoke Regional Airport | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 4 | US 460 (Orange Avenue, US 11 Alt. / SR 116 / SR 220 Alt. north) | Signed as exits 4W (west) and 4E (east) | ||
| 5 | US 11 south (US 221 south / SR 116 south) / US 220 Bus. south – Downtown Roanoke |
Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 6 | US 221 / SR 24 (Elm Avenue) – Vinton | |||
| South end of I-581; continues as US 220 | ||||
US 220 Bus. north (Franklin Road) |
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| Wonju Street, Colonial Avenue, Franklin Road | ||||
US 220 Bus. north (Franklin Road) / SR 419 north – Salem |
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