VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – All lanes of Interstate 95 northbound have reopened at Exit 133 (Route 17) in the Fredericksburg area.

Construction crews finished work ahead of schedule to move three I-95 northbound lanes at the Route 17 overpass in Stafford County into temporary lanes in the median. Northbound traffic will travel in these lanes over the next 12 months as crews replace the I-95 overpass over Route 17, which was built in 1963.

During the work zone, workers put down around 2,000 tons of asphalt and 20,000 feet of lane markings, and placed around 5,000 feet of concrete barriers.

"Thank you to everyone who responded to our call to use an alternate route this weekend, and to those who endured a longer trip on I-95 due to the lane closures," said Robert Ridgell, P.E., VDOT Assistant Fredericksburg District Construction Engineer. "Your patience and cooperation made it possible for us to safely transition traffic into the temporary travel lanes without disrupting the I-95 corridor during the week. We now look forward to delivering a new Route 17 overpass that will serve the next generation of travelers."

Northbound I-95 motorists should use caution in the Exit 133 area as they navigate the temporary travel lanes in the median. Signs and pavement markings are in place to guide motorists.

Project Background

The I-95 northbound and southbound overpasses at Route 17 are being replaced as part of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing. Construction to build this $132 million project began in August 2018 and will be underway through May 2022.

The project seeks to reduce I-95 congestion in the Fredericksburg area by providing local traffic with additional lanes to travel between the Route 17 and Route 3 interchanges without merging into the interstate’s general purpose lanes.

The Rappahannock River Crossing project will build three new general purpose lanes for I-95 southbound stretching six miles in the current median of I-95. The new lanes will begin in the vicinity of Truslow Road, just north of Exit 133 at Route 17 in Stafford. The new lanes will end 1.2 miles south of Exit 130 at Route 3 in Fredericksburg, in Spotsylvania County.

The three existing I-95 southbound lanes will be converted to carry those traveling to the Route 17 and Route 3 interchanges, as well as the Safety Rest Area and Virginia Welcome Center.

For additional information, please visit the project page on the Improve 95 website at www.Improve95.org

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.