I-95 FredEx lanes enter final construction phase

Highway crews are asking for your patience as crews enter the final stretch of construction of an extension of the Interstate 95 E-ZPass lanes from North Stafford to Fredericksburg.

The new tolled lanes, dubbed “FredEx,” will open to drivers later this year. Large dump trucks can enter and exit work zones during construction, traveling slower.

The Virginia Department of Transportation issued the advisory as the spring and summer travel seasons heat up. Over the winter, VDOT opened a new bridge that carries northbound I-95 drivers over the Rappahannock River

More in a press release:

Interstate 95 travelers in the Fredericksburg area are asked to drive with caution in highway work zones and stay alert for slower-moving trucks entering and exiting the median and shoulder for construction activities.

Crews are working intensively in the I-95 median and at locations along the shoulder between exit 126 (Spotsylvania) and exit 143 (Route 610) in Stafford County to build a 10-mile extension of 95 Express Lanes and complete the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

Construction for the express lanes extension is also underway near exit 148 (Quantico).

Acceleration and deceleration areas in the highway work zones help trucks gain speed to merge onto the interstate, or reduce speed after exiting travel lanes. But due to the weight of these vehicles and their loads, travelers should be aware that work zone traffic may be traveling at slower speeds, and to use caution. Allow extra following distance. Stay alert for trucks slowing to exit from the left travel lane, or merging into the left lane from the interstate median.

The extended express lanes are scheduled to open to traffic in late 2023, with project completion in spring 2024. The 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project will extend the express lanes from south of exit 143 (Route 610) to the vicinity of exit 133 (Route 17), with three new access points at exit 148 (Quantico), exit 140 (Courthouse Road) and exit 133.

When the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project is complete by May 2024, six northbound lanes will span over the Rappahannock River between exit 130 (Route 3) and exit 133. As part of the project, a fourth I-95 northbound auxiliary lane is under construction from exit 133 to exit 136 (Centreport Parkway).

“We’re asking drivers to use caution on I-95 as we build a better ride to relieve the chronic congestion in the Fredericksburg area,” said Robert Ridgell, P.E., VDOT project manager for the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension. “Share the highway with our crews working hard to create new travel lanes and finish these interstate improvement projects as soon as possible to keep Virginia moving.”

“The safety of the traveling public and our team members is our top priority. As we work together with VDOT to deliver the Fredericksburg Express Lanes later this year, we need the public’s help to keep the I-95 corridor safe. We ask drivers traveling through the Fred Ex work zone to avoid distractions, reduce speeds and stay alert for merging trucks so we all can safely make it to our destinations,” said Transurban Project Delivery Manager Rich Prezioso.

Transurban is building the express lanes extension as a public-private project with its design-built contractor Branch-Flatiron Joint Venture.

“The safety of our crews and the traveling public is key to the success of our project. We have more than 200 men and women in the work zone within a 15-mile stretch of I-95 working in challenging conditions each day. We ask that drivers remain aware of the work zone and vigilant of changing traffic conditions,” said Jim Kreider, Design-Build Project Manager with Branch-Flatiron Joint Venture. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as the project team strives to deliver this project as quickly as possible.”