VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG ⸺ Starting at approximately 7 p.m. this evening, Route 17 (Tidewater Trail) in Caroline County will be closed to through traffic between Route 2 and Route 301 for motorist safety due to the failure of an adjacent slope and a drainage pipe underneath the road.

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are installing detour signs and message boards to direct traffic along the recommended detour route.

Plans for an emergency repair are underway, but a reopening date is not immediately available.

Motorists are encouraged to use the following posted detour route, which passes through the Town of Bowling Green:

• Route 301
• Route 301 Business (East Broaddus Avenue)
• Route 2

Click here to view an online map of the detour route.

Route 17 will be closed between Route 615 (Ware Creek Road) and Route 719 (Mount Road), where the slope and drainage pipe are located. The pipe is approximately 150 feet long and is located about 80 feet below the road.

An average of 5,800 vehicles travel Route 17 in this area each day, according to a VDOT traffic count. The distance on Route 17 between New Post and Port Royal is around 15 miles, compared with the 24-mile detour route to travel between these two points.

“We will use all available resources to reopen Route 17 to through traffic as soon as possible,” said Kyle Bates, P.E., Resident Engineer for VDOT’s Fredericksburg Residency Office. “We regret the additional travel time and inconvenience drivers will experience as a result of this emergency road closure, but it is important that we ensure the infrastructure is repaired and that the roadway is secure prior to reopening it to traffic.”

Motorists are advised to use caution while traveling the detour route, where posted speed limits vary. The posted speed limit on Route 301 Business (East Broaddus Avenue) is 35 mph.

511Virginia

Motorists can find real-time information on work zones, traffic, incidents and lane closures 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.

(END)

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.