Downtown Roanoke’s month of overnight paving starts Sunday. Here’s where to park, and what to do if your car gets towed. Crews will work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night, starting at Salem Avenue and 1st Street and moving west. The City of Roanoke says the job should take about a month.

Roanoke, VA

Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff

Published: 12:01 AM EST October 7, 2026

Edited: 12:01 AM EST October 7, 2026

Listen Here: Roanokesradio.com

On Sunday night, the heart of downtown Roanoke goes to the night shift.

Starting Oct. 11, crews will strip and repave downtown streets from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night. The project should take about a month according to Roanoke City, depending on weather and any unexpected construction problems. The first stretch is Salem Avenue and 1st Street, and the work moves west from there, according to a statement from the City of Roanoke’s Community Engagement team to The Roanoke Rambler.

Doing the work overnight spares daytime commuters, the City of Roanoke says. It also means the disruption lands on downtown after dark: diners, bar crowds, people going to shows, and residents who park on the street. The City of Roanoke has warned of overnight construction noise. It also says cars left in posted construction zones will be towed

If you remember one thing: Parking restriction signs go up later this week. If your car disappears from a posted zone, call the Roanoke Police Department’s non-emergency line at 540-853-2211 and give your license plate number or VIN, a spokesperson for Roanoke City said.

The Route

A spokesperson for Roanoke City says work begins at Salem Avenue and 1st Street and moves west. Its statement lists these areas:

Roanoke City's Oct. 1 announcement also listed Salem Avenue between 1st and 1½ streets, and Kirk Avenue between 2nd Street and Williamson Road (City of Roanoke). The new statement doesn’t mention Kirk Avenue, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether that block is still part of the project.

Roanoke hasn’t released a night-by-night schedule. Watch for posted signs on your block. A local business owner is concerned about possible foot traffic but says "the street needs it. I just wish they'd told us which week."

Where to Park Instead

The City tells residents and visitors to use city parking garages or available street parking while restrictions are in effect. Four garages sit along the affected avenues:

PARK Roanoke lists daytime rates at those garages of $1 per half-hour, with an $8 daily maximum. Downtown Roanoke Inc. says in a press statement that downtown has more than 5,500 spaces in lots and garages, and many are free on nights and weekends. Neither source lists overnight rates for those four garages, so check the posted rates before you park.

If your Car Gets Towed

1.Call police first. Dial the non-emergency line at 540-853-2211 with your license plate number or VIN.

2.Have questions about fees or towing companies? The City's spokesperson directs residents to Amelia Zhang Zhu of the Towing Advisory Board, at (540) 853-1079. She can explain the city’s contracts with towing companies and what they charge.

Roanoke hasn’t published the fee to get a towed car back.

What it Costs

The city says the downtown work doesn’t have its own budget. It’s part of the annual citywide paving program, which covers about 70 lane miles of streets each year and costs roughly $5 million.

That works out to roughly $71,000 per lane mile, by the Rambler’s math. The figure is an average across the whole program. Downtown streets may cost more or less.

Why These Streets

Every two years, Roanoke hires a company to grade its streets on a Pavement Condition Index from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). The last full review was in 2024. About 61% of city streets are rated “good” or “satisfactory”.

The City says it paves the lowest-scoring streets first. It also weighs busy roads with frequent pothole repairs, and it coordinates with the Virginia Department of Transportation and utilities so new asphalt isn’t dug up soon after it’s laid.

Crews first mill off the top layer of worn asphalt, then lay a fresh layer on top. The City of Roanoke says this makes roads smoother and safer and helps them last longer according to the City of Roanoke Paving Program.

Roanoke has Done this Nefore

Downtown is getting the same overnight treatment Williamson Road got this fall. Starting Aug. 24, crews milled and paved Williamson Road from Orange Avenue to the city line near Malvern Road between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., with completion scheduled for Oct. 2.

Downtown is a harder job. The streets are narrower and lined with parked cars, and many people live in apartments above the storefronts.

The Roanoke Rambler