The widening will take place on the inner portion of I-81, which will narrow the median. Crews will also make other improvements, such as replacing nine bridges, replacing guardrails, and installing sound walls along this stretch.

The Transportation Department will send a ballot in October to both the owners and tenants of buildings most affected by the highway. The ballots ask whether they want a barrier constructed on the portion of I-81 closest to them. Recipients will have 21 days to respond. A second round of balloting will kick off if less than 50% of relevant parties respond the first time. At least 50% of participants must vote “yesâ€� for VDOT to build the barrier on that stretch of I-81. 

• In the city, VDOT plans to realign the northbound Exit 245 off-ramp with Forest Hill Road and move the ramp to merge onto I-81 northbound from eastbound U.S. 33 at Exit 247 to the other side of the road and install a traffic light.
   
• One of the city projects will improve the intersection of South Main Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. A right- turn lane will be added from northbound Main Street onto MLK, signals will be reconstructed, left- turn lanes will be built from MLK onto Mason Street in both directions and signals will be replaced at that intersection.
   
• The plan also includes the project to widen Erickson Avenue to four lanes with a center-turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks from just west of South High Street to the city limits near Garbers Church Road.

You can search the Six Year Improvement Program database here.

For Exit 245 the next steps are to line up funding. That is already in progress but at this time they are only looking at doing an interim improvement there. With the removal of the former hotel in the southeast quadrant of that interchange JMU offered the city some additional right-of-way and the city has requested funding to realign the northbound exit ramp to match up with the existing Forest Hill Road intersection on Port Republic Road. There would be little to no additional right of way impacts for this improvement. If funding is awarded then construction could begin next summer for this improvement but there is no guarantee that funding will come through.

All other improvements at this intersection would likely wait until they are ready to replace the bridge over I-81 which is not expected anytime soon. The bridge is currently in pretty good shape and would be expensive to replace so I don't see that happening. After the interim improvement I described above I wouldn't expect anything else to happen for at least 7 or 8 years and probably more like 15.

For the full improvements recommended in the Alternative 2 even after they identify funding they will need to do a full design and engineering study which will likely result in some changes to the proposed design especially regarding access changes off of Port Republic Road.

"Since 2011, commercial and residential development activity has increased and Stone Spring Road has been completed.  [...] Interest in the development of commercially zoned land in this same area is expected to increase as a result of the relocation and completion of Stone Spring Road and the construction of Albert Long Park."

"According to county officials, an expanded UDA would put Rockingham County in a better position to compete for state money under the new prioritization process for transportation funding adopted by the General Assembly in 2014."

Drivers of Tesla electric cars have a new place to recharge in the Shenandoah Valley, with more locations on the way.

By the Side of the Road Inn and Cottages in Harrisonburg announced Wednesday that Tesla Motors has installed two charging stations at the bed and breakfast.

In addition, the car company announced last week that it plans to build Supercharger stations for its Model S car in Strasburg, Charlottesville and three other locations in Virginia in the next year.

Dennis Fitzgerald, an innkeeper at By the Side of the Road, said the inn was recently offered membership in the Select Registry, a network of hotels, resorts and restaurants that provide charging equipment for electric car owners.

• Bonjangles, being built at the corner of Port Republic Road and Stone Spring Road.
   
  
• The Reserve at Stone Port being built between the to be constructed section of the Southeast Connector Road and Ridgewood Road.
   
  
• Plenty of additional land at Stone Port, yet to be developed, intended for destination retail, medical and professional office, and high density residential.

• The main entrance to this development will be off of Ridgedale Road -- and no connection to Port Republic Road will be available.
  
  
• The owner intends to provide a commercial development with businesses interconnected with sidewalks and landscaped such as to create a community.
  
  
• It is expected that development plans will proceed very soon with surveying and engineering design, with construction started in late 2014 with sites ready for development by early/mid 2015.
  
  
• A letter of intent to purchase and build a bank has been submitted that was conditional upon rezoning. 

With regards to residents and businesses on Boyers, those with frontage on Route 33 would continue to have access to 33 and the stub of Boyers that remains.  Those residents on the cul-de-sac'ed side of Boyers would travel south a short distance to the new southeast connector.  Again, precise location of the road closure and cul-de-sac (or similar feature) are to be finalized in the design.  If you have any concerns or ideas you would like to share, we're eager to hear them.