I-77 at Fancy Gap ... a spectacular nightmare

The Virginia Department of Transportation closed a portion of Interstate 77 near the North Carolina border late Sunday and early Monday because of high winds.

Some motorists probably wouldn't mind that portion of I-77 being closed permanently ... except that the alternatives are worse.

If you've ever driven I-77 into Virginia -- and most of you have, at one time or another -- you know what I'm talking about.

At the North Carolina border, headed northbound, you encounter a 10-mile stretch in which the road climbs about 1,500 to 2,000 feet. It's less scary northbound, because everyone is climbing, and that limits the speed at which most vehicles can drive.

But southbound, from Virginia into North Carolina? Yikes! Tractor-trailers, other types of trucks, campers, SUVs, minivans and regular sedans tend to fly down that mountain, and they often roll into a thick fog bank that forms on the embankment.

It's actually the Blue Ridge Escarpment, and it's where the North Carolina Piedmont rises into the Appalachian Mountains. That change in topography occurs all along the mountain line in North Carolina, but it's particularly vivid on I-77 because of the high traffic volume and the unusual makeup of the ridge in that area.

Dave Wert, of the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg, Va., said the Blue Ridge line typically is southwest-northeast, but it's on more of an east-west line in the Fancy Gap, Va., area at I-77.

When a moist south or southeast wind from the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico piles up against the mountain range, it forms dense fog. And when the wind is strong out of the south -- as was the case late Sunday -- it creates a tunnel effect up I-77. Winds can blow at 40 to 50 mph, causing motorists to lose control of their vehicles.

The fog-induced wrecks can be nightmarish. One minute, you're driving south on I-77 in cloudy weather. The next minute, fog limits visibility to a 100 or 200 feet.

Last Nov. 16, dense fog was blamed for pileups that claimed 75 vehicles and left two people dead. There was a 50-vehicle pileup in May 2001 and a 46-vehicle wreck in October 1998.

The Virginia Department of Transportation did a study on that section of I-77 about a decade ago and found that most of the wrecks happened between mile markers 5 and 7, about halfway down the steep grade. And most happened on the southbound side, where motorists were traveling faster.

So Virginia officials installed devices to measure fog and wind, and to alert motorists in advance with overhead signs. Unfortunately, the warnings sometimes don't slow motorists.

In the headline, I called this section of I-77 a "spectacular nightmare."

That's because when conditions are clear, the visibility can be 25 to 40 miles, and motorists can see far southeastward, into the North Carolina Piedmont. Of course, drivers shouldn't be looking at the scenery. That section of the road is frightening enough in good weather. But if you're a passenger and the weather is clear, the view is great.

I also said at the beginning of this article that the alternatives to I-77 are worse.

Before this section of road was completed in July 1977, motorists headed from North Carolina to Virginia had to use twisting, turning U.S. 52. A trip of 10 miles could take a couple hours, and portions of that roadway were scary, too.

So keep the speed in check, make sure drivers keep their eyes on the road, and follow advice on the road signs. If you do all that, and if the fog and winds aren't bad, it'll be a quick and scenic way of negotiating the Blue Ridge Escarpment.