Kirk Avenue Is on the List: City Confirms All Seven Downtown Streets in Roanoke's Overnight Paving Project
Roanoke confirmed that Kirk Avenue and a block of Salem Avenue are part of the downtown repaving that started this week. Here's the full map, what an overnight garage stay costs, and who to call if your car gets towed.
Roanoke confirmed that Kirk Avenue and a block of Salem Avenue are part of the downtown repaving that started this week. Here's the full map, what an overnight garage stay costs, and who to call if your car gets towed.
Roanoke, VA
Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff
Published: 10:11 PM EST October 13, 2026
Edited: 10:11 PM EST October 13, 2026
Listen Here: Roanokesradio.com
Kirk Avenue is on the list.
Last week the Roanoke Rambler reported that the city's statement about downtown's overnight paving didn't mention Kirk Avenue, even though the City of Roanoke's Oct. 1 announcement did. We asked the city about it. The City of Roanoke's Community Engagement Team has now answered in writing.
"Kirk Avenue between 2nd Street and Williamson Road, and Salem Avenue between 1st and 1-½ streets are included in the downtown paving project," the team told the Rambler.
The answer matches the official notice the city posted on Oct. 1. If you live, work, eat or park on any of the blocks below, plan on milling crews, paving machines and no-parking signs at some point between now and mid-November.
The Full List: Seven Streets
According to the City of Roanoke's Community Engagement Team, these are all the streets in the project:
| Street | Section being paved |
|---|---|
| Salem Avenue | 1st Street to 1½ Street |
| Campbell Avenue | 1st Street to 5th Street |
| Kirk Avenue | 2nd Street to Williamson Road |
| Church Avenue | 2nd Street to 5th Street |
| 1st Street | Salem Avenue to Franklin Road |
| 2nd Street | Salem Avenue to Day Avenue |
| 3rd Street | Salem Avenue to Franklin Road |
Last week's route table listed five of these seven. It left out Salem Avenue and Kirk Avenue. Kirk Avenue also stretches the work east, from 2nd Street all the way to Williamson Road.
How Long It Will Last
The city's official window runs from Sunday, Oct. 11, through mid-November, weather permitting, according to the City of Roanoke's Oct. 1 announcement. Crews work overnight, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The city has said the work began at Salem Avenue and 1st Street and moves west from there. That puts the first stretch at the Salem Avenue block that the city has now confirmed.
The city schedules the work overnight "to minimize daytime traffic impacts," and local traffic will still be able to reach homes and businesses for the whole project, according to the city's notice.
The city isn't sending block-by-block alerts. The posted signs are the schedule. The city says temporary no-parking notices will go up ahead of work on each street and that towing will be enforced. If you see a sign on your block, that's your notice.
What Overnight Parking Costs
Last week we couldn't say what an overnight stay costs in the four city garages along the paving route. PARK Roanoke's published rates answer that.
All four garages charge $1 per half-hour, capped at $8, according to PARK Roanoke's rate sheet. The rate sheet lists no separate evening or overnight price for these garages. The city's fee schedule lists the same rate for every day of the week, Monday through Sunday. In other words, a full 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. stay tops out at $8. PARK Roanoke told WSLS that its maximum is $8 per exit.
| Garage | Address | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Market Garage | 25 Church Ave. SE | $1 per half-hour, $8 max |
| Church Avenue Garage | 121 Church Ave. SW | $1 per half-hour, $8 max |
| Center in the Square Garage | 11 Campbell Ave. SE | $1 per half-hour, $8 max |
| Campbell Garage | 335 Campbell Ave. SW | $1 per half-hour, $8 max |
Rates from PARK Roanoke.
Want to park free? Elmwood Park Garage, at 201 Tazewell Ave. SE, is free from 5 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday, according to PARK Roanoke. Street parking outside the posted work zones is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends. The smart meters around the City Market are enforced only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Live downtown? PARK Roanoke offers downtown residents a monthly residential rate of $40 at garages including Market and Church Avenue, according to the city's fee schedule. If you'll be moving your car several nights a month, that pass may cost less than paying the nightly maximum. Residents can apply through PARK Roanoke's residential parking program or call the office at (540) 343-0585.
If Your Car Gets Towed
Cars left in posted construction zones will be towed, the city says. If yours disappears:
- Call police first. Call the Roanoke Police Department's non-emergency line at 540-853-2211 with your license plate number or VIN. The city's spokesperson says that's how you find out where your car is.
- Ask about the bill. For tow fees or questions about the towing companies, the city directs residents to Amelia Zhang Zhu of the Towing Advisory Board at (540) 853-1079. She can explain the city's towing contracts and what the companies are allowed to charge.
The cheapest tow is the one that never happens. Check the signs on your block every evening before 6 p.m. The work moves from block to block, so a block that was clear Monday can be posted by Wednesday.
Why Downtown, and Why Now
The downtown work doesn't have its own budget. It's part of Roanoke's annual citywide paving program, which covers about 70 lane miles a year for about $5 million, the city told the Rambler last week. The city chooses streets based on its Pavement Condition Index, which it updates every two years, plus pothole-repair history and coordination with utilities and the Virginia Department of Transportation. That coordination is meant to keep new asphalt from being dug up soon after it's laid.
Crews mill off the worn top layer and lay fresh asphalt on top. The city followed the same overnight approach on Williamson Road this fall, paving from Orange Avenue to the city line near Malvern Road between Aug. 24 and Oct. 2, according to the City of Roanoke's road-closure calendar.
For updates on closures, the city points residents to its road closures page. For questions about the work, contact the City of Roanoke Transportation Division at 540-853-2676.
Cut-Out-and-Keep: Downtown Paving at a Glance
- When: Nightly, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Oct. 11 through mid-November, weather permitting
- Where: Salem, Campbell, Kirk and Church avenues; 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets (see the full list above)
- Parking: City garages cost $8 max overnight. Elmwood Park Garage is free on weekends. Street parking outside work zones is free after 5 p.m.
- Towed? Roanoke police non-emergency line: 540-853-2211
- Tow fees and companies: Towing Advisory Board, (540) 853-1079
- Project questions: City Transportation Division, 540-853-2676
This story follows the Rambler's Oct. 7 report, Downtown Roanoke's Month of Street Paving Starts Sunday. The City of Roanoke's Community Engagement Team answered the Rambler's question about Kirk Avenue and Salem Avenue in writing.
The Roanoke Rambler
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