# Interstate 581 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Interstate_581 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Interstate_581.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_581 > Source revision: 1303075484 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Highway in Virginia Interstate 581 I-581 highlighted in red Route information Auxiliary route of I-81 Maintained by VDOT Length 6.64 mi[1] (10.69 km) Existed 1964[2]–present NHS Entire route Major junctions South end US 220 / SR 24 in Roanoke North end I-81 / US 220 near Hollins Location Country United States State Virginia Counties City of Roanoke, Roanoke Highway system Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Virginia Routes Interstate US Primary Secondary Byways History HOT lanes ← I-564 → SR 598 **Interstate 581** (**I-581**) is a [spur](/source/List_of_auxiliary_Interstate_Highways) of [I-81](/source/Interstate_81_in_Virginia) into [Roanoke, Virginia](/source/Roanoke%2C_Virginia), completely [overlapping](/source/Concurrency_(road)) [US Route 220](/source/U.S._Route_220_in_Virginia) (US 220). It was planned to be connected to [I-73.](/source/Interstate_73_in_Virginia) **Future I-73 Corridor** signs have been marked on I-581 on the southbound side just after exit 2.[3] ## Route description Northern terminus of I-581 at I-81 in Roanoke County View north along I-581/US 220 just north of SR 24 in Roanoke The I-581 designation ends at the Elm Avenue ([State Route 24](/source/Virginia_State_Route_24) (SR 24)) interchange in downtown [Roanoke](/source/Roanoke%2C_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. Many of I-581's exits are [cloverleaf interchanges](/source/Cloverleaf_interchange), which results in [weaving](/source/Grade_separation#Weaving). The northern terminus has short merge areas with I-81, particularly the left-lane southbound merge. [Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport](/source/Roanoke%E2%80%93Blacksburg_Regional_Airport), [Valley View Mall](/source/Valley_View_Mall_(Roanoke%2C_Virginia)), and [Berglund Center](/source/Berglund_Center) are all located adjacent to I-581. The Hershberger Road ([SR 101](/source/State_Route_101_(Virginia))) 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](/source/CBS) affiliate [WDBJ](/source/WDBJ) constructed its new facility, designed to broadcast in [HDTV](/source/HDTV), on Hershberger Road near I-581. The southern end of I-581 offers views of the downtown Roanoke [skyline](/source/Skyline), most prominently the [Hotel Roanoke](/source/Hotel_Roanoke), the [Wells Fargo](/source/Wells_Fargo) Tower, the former [Roanoke Shops](/source/Roanoke_Shops) of [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway), the Norfolk Southern tower, and St. Andrews Catholic Church. The [Roanoke Star](/source/Roanoke_Star) is also clearly visible. ## History ### Roy L. Webber Expressway In 1980, the highway was extended approximately 3.3 miles (5.3 km) from the Elm Avenue interchange to [SR 419](/source/Virginia_State_Route_419) near [Tanglewood Mall](/source/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](/source/Interstate_Highway_standards),[2] it only carried the US 220 designation and was named the Roy L. Webber Expressway after a [former mayor of Roanoke](/source/Roy_L._Webber). The primary interchange along the expressway is at Wonju Street, which links Franklin Road ([US 220 Business](/source/U.S._Route_220_Business_(Roanoke%2C_Virginia)) [US 220 Bus]) and Colonial Avenue and Brandon Avenue ([US 11](/source/U.S._Route_11_in_Virginia)). This exit provides quick access to downtown Roanoke from residential areas in southwest Roanoke. Wonju Street is named after [Wonju](/source/Wonju), [South Korea](/source/South_Korea), one of Roanoke's [sister cities](/source/Sister_cities). The expressway was originally constructed with four lanes but was widened to six lanes in the mid-1990s. ### Planned I-73 The road was planned to become part of an extension of [I-73 in Virginia](/source/Interstate_73_in_Virginia).[4] As of 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interstate_581&action=edit), plans were shelved. ## Exit list County Location mi[5] km Exit Destinations Notes City of Roanoke 0.00 0.00 US 220 south – Martinsville Continuation south; southern end of US 220 concurrency 6 SR 24 (Elm Avenue) – Vinton 0.66 1.06 5 US 11 / US 221 south / US 220 Bus. – Downtown Southbound exit and northbound entrance; US 221 not signed 0.97 1.56 4 US 460 (Orange Avenue) – Berglund Center Signed as exits 4E (east) and 4W (west) 2.65 4.26 3C Valley View Boulevard – Airport Diverging diamond interchange completed in November 2016 with new south bound exit and northbound entrance ramps, now providing complete access 3.76 6.05 3 SR 101 (Hershberger Road) – Airport Signed as exits 3E (east) and 3W (west) 5.51 8.87 2 SR 117 (Peters Creek Road) Signed as exits 2N (north) and 2S (south) Roanoke ​ 6.35 10.22 1 I-81 / US 220 north – Salem, Bristol, Lexington Northern terminus; northern end of US 220 concurrency; signed as exits 1N (north) and 1S (south); exit 143 on I-81 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways"](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table02.cfm). *FHWA Route Log and Finder List*. [Federal Highway Administration](/source/Federal_Highway_Administration). December 31, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2022. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Roanoker_Magazine_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Roanoker_Magazine_2-1) Harris, Nelson (January 2, 2018). ["Streets of Roanoke: Interstate 581"](https://theroanoker.com/magazine/departments/streets-of-roanoke-interstate-581). The Roanoker Magazine. Retrieved November 15, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Google Maps"](https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3204704,-79.984725,3a,37.5y,178.67h,85.84t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sKkGnALt8h-nxgEo-tcgWPw!2e0!5s20241001T000000!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=4.162785995587782&panoid=KkGnALt8h-nxgEo-tcgWPw&yaw=178.6656614431778!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==). *Google Maps*. Retrieved April 29, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["About I-73"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051005194428/http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/I73/I73-about.asp). *[Virginia Department of Transportation](/source/Virginia_Department_of_Transportation)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/I73/I73-about.asp) on October 5, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-traffic_counts_Roanoke_5-0)** ["Jurisdiction Report - Roanoke County"](http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/Traffic_2012/AADT_080_Roanoke_2012.pdf) (PDF). [Virginia Department of Transportation](/source/Virginia_Department_of_Transportation). 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2013. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Interstate 581](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Interstate_581). **[KML file](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/Interstate_581&action=raw)** ([edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/Interstate_581&action=edit) · [help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Attached_KML)) [Template:Attached KML/Interstate 581](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Attached_KML/Interstate_581) KML is from Wikidata - [Virginia Highways Project: I-581](https://web.archive.org/web/20070315152057/http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/i81.htm#i581) - [Virginia @ AARoads.com - Interstate 581](https://web.archive.org/web/20060219180601/http://www.aaroadtrips.com/i-581_va.html) - [Roads to the Future: Interstate 581 in Virginia](http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I581_VA_Desc.html) v t e Auxiliary routes of Interstate 81 Tennessee 1811 Virginia 381 581 New York 2811 481 781 Business2 1Former 2Future Authority control databases: National United States Israel --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Interstate 581](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_581) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_581?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.