NEWS RELEASE: SALEM – A section of Route 116 (Jubal Early Highway) in Franklin County in the Coopers Cove area is closed to through traffic. The road collapsed in the early morning hours on May 22 during prolonged rainfall.
Route 116 is a two-lane road and both lanes are closed. The closure is located 1.5 miles east of Route 1520 (Windridge Parkway) and 0.9 mile west of Route 681 (Coopers Cove Road).
Traffic can detour around the closure using Route 678 (Truman Hill Road) to Route 635 (Edwardsville Road) to Route 681 (Coopers Cove Road) to return to Route 116.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is estimating that it will take approximately one to two months to complete the repairs so the road can reopen to traffic.
VDOT plans to stabilize the slope using soil nails. This process involves launching steel rods into the slope to secure it.
Once the slope alongside Route 116 is stable, stone and fill material will be used to replace the roadbed. Then, this section of Route 116 will be repaved and the pavement markings and guardrail replaced.
For traffic information on Virginia’s roadways, visit www.511Virginia.org.
