BUCHANAN, VA : Public weighs in on crash magnet curve on I-81 on Tuesday, 5th February 2019

It's a dangerous section of interstate. The I-81 S-curve near Buchannan has seen more than 50 crashes in just the last two years. Tuesday, VDOT held a public meeting to discuss the future of that two mile stretch.Kathryn Eagle lives just a stone's throw from the curve. "I can touch it just about," she said.

It's a section of road Eagle says can be just plain dangerous. "Frequently I see people going 100 mph."

In the last two years, there have been 52 crashes here, mostly on the southbound side. It's why, tonight, VDOT held a public meeting to discuss $8 million of improvements for the S-curve.

"This is all about safety," said VDOT spokesperson Jason Bond. He says the changes will include "wider shoulders, enhanced pavement markings, putting down a high-friction pavement along this stretch of highway."

And it will also mean closing the off ramp at Exit 167 on 81 southbound. "It's actually a ramp that doesn't have a lot of traffic on it," said Bond, adding fewer than 200 cars use it daily while being one of the biggest sources of trouble in the curve.

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