VDOT reopens river channel at Fredericksburg

The Rappahannock River near Interstate 95 is open to boaters once again — at least for now.

The river channel that passes underneath the Rappahannock Falls Bridge that carries I-95 traffic over the waterway has is now open for recreational traffic. Prior today, boaters had to use a portage that was put into place in December 2019 to get to the water.

But the river being open again is only temporary, as the channel will close again in Fall 2020 as part of the bridge project. Once again, a portage will be required for boaters to enter the water.

All of this opening and closing of the river channel comes as part of the $132 million I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing, which began in August 2018 and will be underway through May 2022, according to a press release.

The project seeks to reduce I-95 congestion in the Fredericksburg area by providing local traffic with additional lanes to travel between Route 17 and Route 3 interchanges without merging into the interstate’s general-purpose lanes.

The Rappahannock River Crossing project will build three new general-purpose lanes for I-95 southbound stretching six miles in the current median of I-95. The new lanes will begin in the vicinity of Truslow Road, just north of Exit 133 at Route 17 in Stafford. The new lanes will end 1.2 miles south of Exit 130 at Route 3 in Fredericksburg, in Spotsylvania County.

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.