I-95 Rappahannnock River crossing, FredEx projects on track despite coronavirus

The coronavirus hasn’t stopped the construction of two new bridges across the Rappahannock River.

Soon, drivers on Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg will have new travel options, and with any luck, a smoother commute once officials lift the lockdown spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.

Crews are working in the nearly four-mile stretch of I-95, between the Route  17 interchange in Stafford County, on the north side of the river and Harrison Road, to the south in Spotsylvania County.

Two new lanes will be added in the center of the highway that, in addition to the existing three travel lanes, will carry traffic southbound toward through Fredericksburg to Richmond.

The new center lanes, however, will serve as express lanes for drivers looking to bypass the Route 17 interchange and the Route 3 interchange in Fredericksburg. Meanwhile, local traffic should continue to use the existing lanes that will provide access to major commuter sideroads.

A new lane on the northbound side of the highway will carry traffic between Route 3, over the Rappahannock, and Route 17.

The visual centerpiece of the entire project is the two new bridge spans being built over the river.

“It really is a marvel to watch, and it requires a lot of coordination,” said Kelly Hannon, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation Fredericksburg District office.

The two new spans will rise 90 feet over the surface of the water, and, when finished, will look similar to the existing bridges, making a total of four spans. Crews built a temporary causeway across the river to build the new spans, said Hannon.

The southbound portion of the project, to include the new bridge span, is slated to open in May 2022. The northbound part will open later that year. Together, the river crossing project will cost $264 million.

The project will also include two new, higher bridges at the Route 17/I-95 interchange that currently are too low for truckers to pass. Last fall, Stafford County leaders voiced concerns after VDOT had planned to replace the southbound bridge over Route 17, leaving the older, lower-clearance bridge in place.

Today, however, Hannon confirms to Potomac Local News that both spans are being replaced with taller structures.

All of this work is occurring yards away from where another project is just ramping up — a $565 million effort to extend the E-ZPass Express Lanes south from Garrisonville. When this project opens in 2022, drivers will have a seamless ride on the E-ZPass Express Lane network from Fredericksburg to Springfield on I-95, to the Pentagon on I-395, or to Tysons Corner on I-495.

New E-ZPass lanes are also being built on I-66, between Haymarket and the Capital Beltway, adding to the region’s network of toll roads.

The E-ZPass lanes extension to Fredericksburg, dubbed FredEx, will be tolled 24 hours a day. And just like the rest of the toll road network in Northern Virginia, the drivers on FredEx who have three or more occupants in their vehicle, and an electronic E-ZPass transponder will be able to use the lanes for free, said Hannon.

The new lanes over the Rappahannock River, however, won’t be tolled and will always carry drivers south. When completed, both Fredericksburg projects will complement each other,

“They really will all interface,” said Hannon. You’ll have the choice, do you want to renter the general-purpose lanes for local traffic or you do want to get off at Route 17, or do you want to remain in the median and continue in [the center] lanes going south,” said Hannon.

When the river crossing, E-ZPass, and the recently opened interchange at Courthouse Road in Stafford County combined, all three projects amount to a $1 billion investment into transportation infrastructure in the region, said Hannon.

All of that investment comes as traffic volumes across Virginia have dropped 40 to 60 percent since President Donald Trump issued a state of emergency declaration five weeks ago due to the coronavirus. Trump’s order was followed up by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who ordered residents stay-at-home until June 10.