VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – During recent paving work to resurface Route 3 eastbound and Route 639 (Leavells Road) in Spotsylvania County, spot improvements were made to lane markings to reduce driver delay and congestion.

Route 3 Eastbound

On Route 3 eastbound, a right turn lane between Chewning Lane and Bragg Road was converted into an auxiliary lane at the following locations:

• Chewning Lane to Salem Church Crossing shopping center
• Salem Church Crossing shopping center to Salem Church Road
• Salem Church Road to Heatherstone Drive
• Heatherstone Drive to the shopping center entrance at Dunkin’
• Shopping center entrance at Dunkin’ to Bragg Road

The change provides more capacity to move the average 40,000 vehicles a day estimated to travel Route 3 eastbound in this area. Auxiliary lanes allow turning traffic to reduce speed ahead of their destination, and give space to accelerating vehicles merging onto Route 3 from entrances. Creating room to accelerate, decelerate, and turn in auxiliary lanes can reduce stop-and-go conditions in through travel lanes.

Leavells Road at Harrison Road

On northbound Leavells Road, at the Route 620 (Harrison Road) intersection, lane markings were changed to create a double left turn lane, which will open on the morning of Wednesday, July 7, weather permitting.

Vehicles on northbound Leavells Road waiting to turn left onto Harrison Road at peak times frequently exceeded the space available in the single left turn lane, which blocked through traffic. By changing the intersection approach to double left turn lanes, through travelers and turning traffic should experience fewer delays.

After the adjustment next week, northbound Leavells Road traffic will have a through travel lane to Route 639 (Salem Church Road) and a shared through lane and right turn lane to Harrison Road eastbound.

Traffic signal equipment and signs have been adjusted on Route 3, and will be adjusted on Leavells Road at the same time that new lane markings are installed.

More Route 3 Improvements Ahead

A future project on Route 3 in Spotsylvania will make a similar improvement for westbound traffic. Between Bragg Road and Chamber Drive, a project will convert the existing right turn lane to a shared through travel and turn lane. This will be accomplished after the removal of several concrete islands and slight intersection changes. For eastbound Route 3, the future project will modify the Mall Drive intersection to allow through travelers to remain in the right lane from Taskforce Drive to the I-95 southbound ramp entrance.

Learn more about this upcoming project, which will begin construction when funding is available in 2024.

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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.

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