VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Construction will begin on Friday, Feb. 12, on a project to improve pedestrian and bicyclist travel along the Route 17 corridor in the Tappahannock area of Essex County, as well as enhance traffic flow for motorists.

This $1 million project, funded by SMART SCALE, will make several spot improvements:

• To enhance pedestrian and bicycle travel, the existing graded shoulder will be paved for a total of around 3,500 feet along Route 17 northbound and 2,500 feet of Route 17 southbound, between Route 698 (White Oak Road) and Route 1030 (Richmond Beach Road). View online maps of shoulder locations to be paved.

• A pedestrian crossing will be relocated at the intersection of Route 17 and Route 360 (Queen Street) and rebuilt with handicapped-accessible curb ramps.

• At the intersection of Route 17 and Route 360 (Queen Street), the existing pavement will be reconfigured to increase the right turn radius from Queen Street to westbound Route 17 (Church Lane). Entrances to the Essex County parking lot will be reconstructed to reduce eastbound traffic congestion.

• A crossover at Route 17 and Route 725 (Winston Road) will be converted to eliminate left turns from Winston Road onto Route 17 southbound. A median island will be built in the crossover, and the existing curb will be modified to improve the alignment and position for turning traffic.

Due to the high volume of traffic traveling on Route 17 and Route 360 in the Tappahannock area, most lane closures will be scheduled to occur during overnight hours.

Construction is scheduled to be complete in June 2021.

The project contractor is EL-X Enterprises.

Project Background

Essex County submitted an application to build this project through Virginia’s SMART SCALE transportation funding program.

SMART SCALE was established to choose the right transportation projects for funding and ensure the best use of limited tax dollars. Potential projects that have been determined to meet a need identified in VTrans – the state’s long-range multi-modal transportation plan – are scored based on safety, congestion, accessibility, land use, economic development and the environment.

Once projects are scored and prioritized, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) has the best information possible to select projects for funding.

To view how funded SMART SCALE projects are advancing toward construction, visit the SMART SCALE Dashboard.

Stay Updated

Real-time updates on this work zone, lane closures and congestion will be available on 511Virginia.

Download the free mobile 511Virginia app for Apple and Android devices to stay connected, or visit www.511Virginia.org. Motorists also can reach 511Virginia by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia.

Follow VDOT Fredericksburg District on Twitter at @VaDOTFRED

Read Hot Spots, the weekly list of scheduled lane closures in the Fredericksburg District, including for this project. This list is published every Friday afternoon for the following week.

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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.