Montgomery County, Va., officials have crafted a proposal to extend the Virginia Smart Road to I-81, creating a new highway link to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
The $215-million plan, which now goes before Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) for consideration, would more than double the length of the existing 2.2-mile two-lane highway, fulfilling the Virginia Dept. of Transportation's original vision to combine transportation research with improved highway access to the university and fast-growing surrounding area. Currently, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute manages and maintains the Smart Road as a transportation technology test track.