If you buy in Clearbrook this fall, your first several years of commuting will run through a $253 million road project planned just north of Winchester. Martinsburg Pike and Interstate 81 both carry Clearbrook drivers south toward the city. Both cross the stretch around Exit 317, where VDOT plans to widen I-81, replace the bridges, rebuild the interchange and rework the local roads next to it. Construction there is expected to start by early 2028. A smaller project on the same corridor, the Redbud Road relocation, has already begun. Frederick County's for-sale market has also loosened. That gives a buyer more room to negotiate today, in the months right before the commute they'll actually live with starts to change.
The drive you take from a showing is the drive as it is today. The one you'll make in 2028 will be different.
Two Routes South, One Choke Point
Clearbrook is north of Winchester, off I-81 and US Route 11. Heading to the city, a driver either stays on Martinsburg Pike through Stephenson or gets on the interstate and drives south toward Exit 317. VDOT's project covers I-81 from about mile marker 316.9 to 319.0, plus the interchange where I-81 crosses Route 11 at Exit 317. Either way, you pass through the same work zone.
VDOT's traffic counts show how much pressure is already on this spot. In 2024, Route 11 carried an average of 17,700 vehicles a day north of I-81 and 44,700 a day south of it. VDOT projects those numbers will reach 29,900 and 71,000 by 2050. The interstate carried 66,200 vehicles a day in 2024 and is projected to carry 97,800 by 2050. The jump in Route 11 traffic at the interchange means Exit 317 is where the Clearbrook-side traffic meets the Winchester side. That is also where most of the construction will happen.
VDOT has said how it plans to manage traffic. I-81 lane closures will be limited to nighttime and overnight hours, keeping two lanes open in each direction at peak times. Route 11 and other nearby roads may have single-lane closures at various stages of construction. For a Martinsburg Pike commuter, that second sentence is the one to keep in mind.
The Work, in the Order It Arrives
These projects don't all start at once. VDOT has scheduled them one after another, so each year of a new owner's first few years looks a little different. Here's the order, based on VDOT's Fall 2026 Staunton District update and its project pages:
- Route 661 Redbud Road relocation, under construction now. VDOT awarded a $2.9 million construction contract to General Excavation Inc. in 2026. The work rebuilds the northern part of Redbud Road ahead of the interchange project. The Fall 2026 district update puts completion in fall 2027, later than the summer 2027 date still shown on the project page. VDOT tells drivers to expect occasional flagger control on Redbud and Milburn roads, and says part of Milburn Road will close for a few months as the work moves along.
- Route 11 and Route 761 roundabout, going out to bid in summer 2027. A single-lane roundabout will replace the signalized T intersection where Martinsburg Pike meets Old Charles Town Road. VDOT estimates the cost at $11.6 million. The completion date will be set when the contract is awarded.
- I-81 widening and Exit 317 rebuild, contract award in summer 2027 and construction by early 2028. This is the $253 million bundle. The project page still says "Late 2027" for the start and says the completion date will be set at contract award.
- I-81 from about mile marker 312.2 to 316.9, going out to bid in summer 2030. This is the next widening segment south, estimated at $286 million. VDOT says it will coordinate this segment with the Exit 317 bundle.
The fourth item matters most for planning. When the Exit 317 work eventually wraps up, the interstate south of it is next in line. Someone who buys in Clearbrook in late 2026 is looking at a corridor scheduled for active work, or a contract on the way, through the end of the decade.
What the Exit 317 Bundle Actually Changes
The main project is bigger than the phrase "a new interchange" suggests. VDOT will add a third lane in each direction on I-81 between mile markers 316.9 and 319.0. It will replace the railroad bridges near mile markers 317.3 and 318 and the bridges over Martinsburg Pike, which will give large trucks on Route 11 more vertical clearance. Exit 317 will become a diverging diamond interchange. The widening goes toward the median, which VDOT says keeps the interstate's footprint and the effect on existing interchanges to a minimum.
The local streets change too. The northbound off-ramp will move to where Redbud Road runs now, which is why Redbud is being relocated first. South of the interchange, Welltown Road and Crown Lane will become a one-way pair near Route 11. Northbound traffic will use the existing Welltown Road, and southbound traffic will use Crown Lane, partly on a new alignment. A new park-and-ride lot will go in near the Welltown and Crown intersection, along with a shared-use path on Route 11 around the interchange. The district update says the lot will have more than 200 spaces.
So when the work is done, a Clearbrook commuter gets a wider interstate, a redesigned interchange, a large park-and-ride just west of the exit and a walking and biking connection on Route 11. While it's being built, the same commuter deals with lane shifts, new ramp locations and a local street pattern that changes along the way. Both of those come with a home bought in this corridor today. VDOT held a public hearing on June 23, 2026, at the Millbrook High School library. The Winchester Gazette covered the plans beforehand. The full project description, displays and schedule are on VDOT's Exit 317 project page.
Why the Timing Lines Up With a Softer Market
Bright MLS's North Central Virginia report for August 2026, with data as of September 4, 2026, shows the county shifting toward buyers.
| August 2026 | Frederick County, VA | North Central VA region |
|---|---|---|
| Closed sales | 117, down 1.7% from Aug 2025 | 1,460, up 1.2% |
| Median sales price | $462,500, up 3.9% | $515,000, up 3.0% |
| Median days on market | 33, up 13 days | 21, up 5 days |
| Active listings | 420, up 34.6% | 4,186, up 22.4% |
| Months of supply | 3.36, up 0.98 | 2.93, up 0.42 |
Prices in Frederick County are still going up. But in August 2026, homes there sat on the market 12 days longer than the regional median, and county inventory grew faster than the region's. A median price that's still rising while listings take longer to sell usually means sellers are holding firm on price while buyers take more time to decide, and that gap is where negotiation happens. These are county-wide numbers. The Bright report doesn't break out Clearbrook or ZIP code 22624, so treat them as the backdrop for the whole county, not as a reading on Clearbrook alone.
Put the market numbers and the road schedule side by side and you see the actual trade. A buyer negotiating this fall has more leverage than a year ago. That same buyer will spend the first stretch of ownership driving through construction that most people touring homes in Clearbrook today won't see on a showing drive. A seller listing in late 2026 is competing with more inventory than a year earlier. That seller is also selling before the heaviest construction starts.
Questions to Bring to a Clearbrook Showing
Because the work is so concentrated, a few specific questions turn the timeline into something you can actually check:
- Which route does this address use day to day? A home that gets on I-81 at Exit 321 feels nighttime interstate closures differently than one that relies on Martinsburg Pike through Stephenson, where single-lane closures can happen during the day.
- Does the daily trip use Redbud Road, Milburn Road, Welltown Road or Crown Lane? All four are in a current or planned work area, and two of them will become one-way near Route 11.
- Would the Exit 317 park-and-ride help? For anyone carpooling or commuting south, a lot with more than 200 spaces at the interchange is one of the clearest long-term benefits of the project.
- How long do you expect to own? The Exit 317 bundle is scheduled for contract award in summer 2027 and construction by early 2028. The next segment south goes out to bid in summer 2030. Someone planning to own for five years and someone planning to own for fifteen will judge that schedule very differently.
FAQ
Is the Exit 317 construction happening now? The main interchange and widening project hasn't started. VDOT's Fall 2026 update schedules contract award for summer 2027 and construction by early 2028. The Route 661 Redbud Road relocation, which has to happen first, is under construction now with completion expected in fall 2027.
How much will the projects cost? VDOT estimates about $253 million for the Exit 317 bundle, $11.6 million for the Route 11 and Old Charles Town Road roundabout, and $286 million for the next I-81 widening segment between mile markers 312.2 and 316.9. The Redbud Road construction contract is $2.9 million.
When will the Exit 317 work be finished? VDOT hasn't set a completion date. Its project page says the date will be set when the design-build contract is awarded.
Does the August 2026 market data apply to Clearbrook specifically? The Bright MLS figures cover Frederick County as a whole. The August 2026 report doesn't include separate figures for Clearbrook or ZIP 22624.
At Legacy Real Estate Group, we keep track of how the Exit 317 schedule lines up with specific Clearbrook streets and specific commutes. Whether you're buying with this road schedule in mind or deciding when to list ahead of it, we can walk through your exact location with you, and we'll start with a free home valuation if you're selling.
