Hello Cardinal News readers. Welcome back to Cardinal Commerce Notes, our regular feature catching you up on various recent business news items.
If you missed last week’s edition, check it out here to learn more about local Walmart stores set to be remodeled, a grant program for farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene and more.
I’m always on the lookout for news tips. Please email me at matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn and message me there.
I-81 work in Roanoke County, Salem scheduled
Construction is scheduled to begin next spring on the first phase of a project to improve nine miles of Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and Salem over 8 1/2 years.
On April 22, Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $237.75 million contract to St. Albans, West Virginia-based Triton Construction Inc. to widen a 3.2-mile segment between I-81’s mile marker 133.8 and exit 137.
More than 50,000 vehicles use that stretch every day, the Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release.
In the second phase, construction to improve mile markers 131 through 133.8 is anticipated to begin in 2028.
In the third phase, construction from exit 128 to mile marker 131 is anticipated to begin in late 2027 or early 2028, VDOT said.
VDOT said the goal is to “increase capacity and improve safety by widening 9 miles of Interstate 81 from two lanes to three lanes in both directions between exit 128 in Montgomery County and exit 137 in Roanoke County/Salem.”
“The project also includes replacing bridges, improving ramps, installing concrete barrier walls and constructing sound walls in some locations,” VDOT said.
The entire project is scheduled to be finished by fall 2035.
“Widening this section is a major step forward for the Roanoke-Blacksburg region,” Ken King, district engineer for VDOT’s Salem District, said in the news release. “This investment will make travel safer and help keep people and goods moving reliably for years to come.”
State police buy former Allstate building in Roanoke County
The Virginia State Police have bought an office building in Roanoke County from the insurance company Allstate with plans to turn it into a new division headquarters.
The property at 1745 Loch Haven Drive, near Interstate 81 and Virginia 419, sold for $15 million in February, according to county property records.
Virginia State Police Sgt. Rick Garletts said the building is big enough to accommodate current and future needs and will save the commonwealth money compared to building a new headquarters.
It will allow police to consolidate operations that are currently spread among several locations.
The property will require changes before police can move in, a process that could take a year, Garletts said in an email.
The current headquarters for VSP’s Division Six is at 3775 W. Main St. in Roanoke County. Garletts said the plan is to demolish that building, but funding for that project has yet to be secured and the building contains hazardous materials that will need to be dealt with.
Catawba restaurant, Bedford brewery reopen
In Catawba, The Homeplace Restaurant recently reopened after closing indefinitely in 2020 due to COVID-19 and then shutting down in 2021.
Located at 4968 Catawba Valley Drive, the restaurant offers family-style dining and celebrated its grand opening on April 19.
In Bedford, Beale’s Brewery celebrated its grand reopening on Saturday.
Beale’s, at 510 Grove St., closed in May 2025 after being in business for 8 years.
Both establishments are under new ownership. More information can be found on the Facebook pages for The Homeplace Restaurant and Beale’s Brewery.
The Lester Group names board chair
Jay Dickens has been named chairman of the board of The Lester Group, a Martinsville-based building products firm.
Dickens succeeds James O’Brien, who retired after more than a decade with the company, the company said in an April 29 news release.
Dickens joined The Lester Group as president in 2018 and was named CEO in 2020. He serves on the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is chair of the Martinsville-Henry County chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth.
The Lester Group, with approximately 200 employees, runs six building supply stores across Virginia, two Fortress Door manufacturing plants in Virginia and Georgia, and a Fortress Truss plant in Virginia. It also manages timberland and residential and commercial properties in three states.
That’s a wrap for this week. Do you know of a new business expanding or relocating in your town? Excited about a restaurant opening up soon? Maybe you’ve got an update on a story we’ve reported before. Please send me your tips and suggestions: matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn.
