VDOT News - Fredericksburg

Friday, Sept. 23 UPDATE:  A traffic shift rescheduled to occur last night on Route 17 (Mills Drive) in Spotsylvania County at the Interstate 95 overpass has been postponed to the evening of Monday, Sept. 26, into early Tuesday, Sept. 27. Route 17 travelers will continue to use the existing traffic pattern in this work zone through the weekend.

Monday, Sept. 19 UPDATE: Route 17 (Mills Drive) traffic at the I-95 overpass in Spotsylvania County will now be shifted onto a new section of road and bridge on Friday, Sept. 23.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Route 17 (Mills Drive) traffic at the Interstate 95 overpass in Spotsylvania County will be shifted onto a new section of road and bridge on Wednesday, Sept. 21. 

As construction on the Route 17 overpass replacement and widening project enters the next phase, traffic will be shifted slightly to the right in the work zone, to cross I-95 on the first half of the new bridge. Next week, traffic will begin traveling in what will become the future northbound lanes on the new bridge. This shift allows crews to next build the southbound lanes of the new bridge. 

Message boards are posted to alert drivers to the upcoming traffic shift. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, crews will slow all Route 17 traffic overnight to a stop then shift travelers to the new alignment by early Wednesday morning. 

Access to Overview Drive from Route 17 will also close at this time for bridge construction.

Drivers will have to use Hospital Boulevard to access Overview Drive. 

Traffic will remain in this pattern until construction is complete in 2024. 

Route 17 will remain two lanes in the work zone throughout the project. Drivers can expect periodic single lane closures in the work zone during off-peak travel times. 

The Route 17 bridge over I-95 is located between Germanna Point Drive/Hospital Boulevard and Route 1. 

Project Background 

Construction on the $23.5 million bridge replacement and widening project started in late December 2020. 

Route 17 will be expanded to four travel lanes between Latitude Street and just east of the Hospital Boulevard and Germanna Point Drive intersection.

A shared-use path for pedestrians will be built along the southern side of Route 17 and sidewalk will be built along the northern side of Route 17. Pedestrian crossing equipment and crosswalks will be added at intersection crossing locations.

The new overpass, travel lanes, sidewalk and path will open in early 2024.

Around 28,000 vehicles a day travel on Route 17 in the project area.

For more information, please view the online project page.

511Virginia

Motorists can find real-time information on lane closures, work zones, traffic and other incidents on 511Virginia.

Download the free mobile 511Virginia app for Apple and Android devices to stay connected, or visit http://www.511Virginia.org. Motorists also can reach 511Virginia by calling 511 when they are not operating a motor vehicle or while using a hands-free device.

Do not use a handheld cell phone or mobile device while driving (it’s the law).

Follow VDOT Fredericksburg District on Twitter @VaDOTFRED.

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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.