3 lanes of I-95 south near Route 17 will shift 6 feet to the left

STAFFORD COUNTY — Work on a new bridge across the Rappahannock River is proceeding this week with a new traffic shift on Interstate 95 near Route 27.

Here are the full details from the Virginia Department of Transportation:

Interstate 95 southbound in Stafford County will be shifted slightly near the Truslow Road overpass this week as part of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

All three lanes of I-95 southbound will shift approximately 6 feet to the left, toward the interstate median, to provide more space along the right shoulder for crews to work behind barriers.

New pavement markings and signs will be installed to guide motorists through the shift, which covers a distance of 1.25 miles. Southbound lanes will shift starting just north of the Truslow Road overpass, and the shift will end just north of Exit 133 (Route 17).

View an online map of the traffic shift.

Motorists should stay in their travel lane at the beginning and end of the traffic shift area, where lane markings will be solid lines. Motorists will be permitted to change lanes within the shifted area, where lane markings are dashed.

Expect Overnight Delays This Week

I-95 southbound motorists can expect brief travel delays this week as crews remove the existing lane markings and install new, temporary lane markings. Additional construction activities will also be underway in this area, from mile marker 135 to 132.

Lane closures have been scheduled for the following dates and times, weather permitting:

Monday, July 8 and Tuesday, July 9

· 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. – Single lane closure

Wednesday, July 10

· 9 p.m. – Single lane closure
· 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. – Two lanes closed
· Around midnight on Thursday, July 11, traffic lanes will be shifted, and motorists can expect to begin traveling in the new pattern early Thursday morning.
· 4:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Single lane closure

Thursday, July 11

· 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. – Single lane closure

Friday, July 12 (ending early Saturday, July 13)

· 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. – Single lane closure

If weather cancels the traffic shift at midnight on Thursday, July 11, it will be postponed to occur at midnight on Wednesday, July 17.

Project Background

Construction to build the $132 million I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing 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 additional travel lanes between the Route 17 and Route 3 interchanges.

The Rappahannock River Crossing project will build three new general purpose lanes on I-95 southbound over six miles in the current median of I-95. The new lanes will begin in the vicinity of the Truslow Road overpass and end 1.2 miles south of Exit 130 at Route 3.

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.