Look out for some changes to the 95 Express Lanes for Labor Day weekend.
The lane reversal schedule for the weekend is available online.
More from a Transurban release:
On Monday, September 7 â Labor Day â there will be no reversal, which means that traffic will remain northbound all day on the 95 Express Lanes. For the full lane reversal schedule for Labor Day weekend, please visit: https://www.expresslanes.com/feature/1794.
To prepare for additional traffic volumes during the Labor Day weekend on I-95, hereâs what drivers can expect when traveling southbound through Prince William and Stafford County during peak travel times:
Express Lanes travelers will see an advisory sign in advance of the Quantico/Joplin Road exit, which alerts drivers if congestion is present ahead on the Lanes. The sign will indicate approximately how far ahead the delays begin, for example âCONGESTION 3 MILES AHEADâ
Drivers can use the information on the sign to decide whether to exit the Lanes at the Joplin Road exit or continue to Garrisonville Road where the 95 Express Lanes end
If delays increase, signage before the Joplin Road exit will advise travelers to exit to the regular lanes using the message âEXIT NOW TO AVOID DELAYSâ
Expect some traffic tonight on Interstate 95 southbound lanes near Fredericksburg.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) traffic will be stopped overnight during certain times.
VDOT is currently working on a new overpass for Fall Hill Avenue, so traffic will be stopped so that concrete beams can be lifted over travel lanes.
More from a VDOT release:
Southbound I-95 travelers are advised to use Route 1 to avoid delays. Message boards on I-95 will provide advance notice of lane closures and detour routes.
The Fall Hill Avenue overpass is located at mile marker 131, between I-95 exit 130/Route 3 and exit 133/Route 17.
Tonight, a single lane of I-95 southbound will close at the overpass at 9:30 p.m. Two southbound lanes will close at 10 p.m.
Between midnight and 3 a.m. all traffic will be stopped four times so workers can lift beams over the travel lanes. Each traffic stop will last approximately 15 minutes. After each closure, the waiting queue of vehicles will be cleared from the scene.
All southbound lanes will re-open to traffic by 5 a.m. Wednesday. Â
Virginia State Police are assisting with traffic control in the work zone.
I-95 Paving
Additionally, lane closures for interstate paving will be underway on I-95 northbound and southbound tonight in the Fredericksburg area.
Paving is scheduled between exit 136/Centreport Parkway and exit 140/Courthouse Road in Stafford County.
A single lane of I-95 northbound will close at 9 p.m. Two northbound lanes will close from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
On I-95 southbound, paving will be underway between exit 126/Spotsylvania and exit 118/Thornburg. A single lane of I-95 southbound will close at 9 p.m. Two southbound lanes will close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday.
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Thereâs a new donut shop in Bristow.
Larry Scherer and his business partner just opened the doors this Monday, of their first Duck Donuts franchise location at Bristow Center â on the corner of Route 28 and Linton Hall Road.
âIâve lived in Prince William County basically my whole life, and had been looking for a business to open locally, and be a [bigger] part of the community,â said Scherer.
Duck Donuts started with their first store in Outer Banks, North Carolina, according to their website.
When looking at what business to pursue, Scherer said he chose Duck Donuts for several reasons.
âWe were looking at different franchises, and we settled on Duck Donuts when we saw how popular it was, down in the Outer Banks [of North Carolina]âŠwe knew there was a void for a breakfast spot in the Bristow area where we were lookingâŠwe really felt that Duck Donuts was young enough in itâs franchising that we could have some kind of impact on the company itself, and the operations of the companyâŠand we love the product. The donuts speak for themselves,â said Scherer.
Duck Donuts are all vanilla cake donuts, that are made fresh to order, and come with 10 coating choices, including chocolate, maple and peanut butter, and five topping choices, according to Scherer.
âWe fry all of our donuts made to order. So we donât start frying donuts until people start ordering themâŠthe donuts are actually fried on site â in front of your eyes. So you get a hot, fresh donut every time,â said Scherer.
According to Scherer, there will be more Duck Donuts locations in the area, in the future.
âWe actually have the rights to four more franchise [locations] in the Northern Virginia area,â said Scherer.
The Bristow location is currently looking for 10 to 12 additional employees. According to Scherer, some positions require applicants to be 18 years or older, and they are currently looking for day shift workers, both full and part-time.
Supervisor Frank Principi is back from his trek to Trader Joeâs HQ.
According to a release, Principi visited the niche grocery storeâs headquarters in Monrovia, California, last week with a 1,700 signature petition, data and lease proposal information.
Principi stated that his office will not hear back from Trader Joeâs until January 2016, according to a release.
A survey conducted by Principiâs staff showed that Woodbridge residents that visited area Trader Joeâs locations spent up to $200 a visit, stated a release.
S
tormy weather may be ahead for Virginia.
According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Tropical Storm Erika may become a hurricane by Monday, and has the potential to hit Virginia.
The storm is currently approaching the Dominican Republic, and is still impacting the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, stated the National Weather Service.
Tropical Storm Erika currently has wind speeds of 50 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
According to the track, released by the National Weather Service, the storm could impact Virginia by Monday.
Tropical Storm #Erika is expected to become a #hurricane by Mon. Uncertain if or when she might impact VA. pic.twitter.com/3LQJg2cV0C
â VDEM (@VDEM) August 27, 2015
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The bald eagle rescued by Stafford Animal Control was released today at Widewater State Park.
According to a Stafford release, Steve was staying at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, for rehabilitation.
âStafford County is blessed with abundant natural resources and with that comes an array of wildlife. Our Animal Control officers do a wonderful job everyday ensuring that all our residents, both citizens and animals, can co-exist peacefully and safely. We are very pleased this eagle is coming home,â said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Gary Snellings in a release.
More from a Stafford release:
Animal Control Officer Anthony McCall responded and flushed the bird from the water to the bank, where he was able to capture it safely. The bird was taken to the Wildlife Center where it was found to have a wrist injury and received medical care and rehabilitation services.
Stafford Animal Control handled 491 wildlife calls in 2014. Officers are trained in all types of animal investigations including criminal activity, cruelty, livestock, exotics and wildlife. Animal Control officers in Stafford are sworn law enforcement officers who conduct routine patrols in assigned areas and respond to complaints of citizens. Officers enforce the laws of the state and county for the purpose of compliance and education.
Update
The Historic Port of Falmouth Park will re-open tomorrow, according to a Stafford release.Â
Testing done by Stafford County showed that the bacterial levels in the river are below state standards and the water is safe, stated a Stafford release.
Original post
The Historic Port of Falmouth Park in Stafford â which runs alongside the Rappahannock River â is closed today and tomorrow due to a sewage leak.
According to a Stafford release, the Stafford County Utilities Department found on August 24 that a sewage spill had happened in Falls Run. Falls Run is upstream from the Historic Port of Falmouth Park, according to the release.
The leak was due to a plug in the pipe system failing, according to a Stafford release.
Stafford stated that the leak has been repaired and there are other plans for repairs to be made, to prevent this from happening again.
Currently there is no evidence that sewage contaminated the river at the site of the park, but Stafford is doing water tests before reopening the park to visitors, stated a Stafford release.
The park could be reopened on August 27.
Will Spencer is ready for a âfood fightâ.
Spencer, a Woodbridge resident and father of four, will be featured on NBCâs new cooking challenge show âFood Fightersâ on NBC on August 27 at 8 p.m.
âIâve been cooking since I was about 14 â itâs been a passion throughout my life. In my family Iâve been the designated cook and barbecuer for a long time. Growing up in the area, I went away to college to play football and I came back and have been working in the area ever since, but Iâve never really given up that passion for food,â said Spencer.
The show pits Spencer against several well-known chefs in five rounds. If he can win all five rounds, heâll receive $100,000.
âThis show is really about that one dish that your friend or family member makes, that you truly believe is better than what anyone else can do. Itâs taking the best home cooks, and their signature family recipes or signature dishing, and pitting them against professional chefs,â said Spencer.
According to Spencer, his cooking style is a fusion of soul food and Latin cuisine.
âI do classic soul food things like shrimp and grits, and smothered chicken and all of the slow cooked sides, but I also do a lot of fresh Latin food with plantains and mangoes and papaya. I like to work with seafood and right now Iâm really trying to fuse those two culinary tastes together,â Spencer said.
While Spencer currently works as a personal trainer, he said that the show has pushed him to begin his culinary career.
âThis Food Fighters opportunity has really kind of jumpstarted my passionâŠIâve been working in fitness and doing meal prep. So my culinary background has been preparing meals for people to get in shapeâŠIâve been doing with the personal training and now Iâm looking at expanding that,â said Spencer.
The Lazy Pig has moved from Dumfries to Triangle.
The roadside barbecue joint has been on Waters Lane in Dumfries for more than two years, but decided to expand into a bigger space on 18723 Fuller Heights Road â just outside the Quantico Marine Corps Base gate.
âWe smoke all of our meats on location â brisket, pork, ribsâŠand we do Southern-style cuisine, as far as your collared greens. Everything we do is homemade,â said Lazy Pig owner Ken Harris.
Harris realized that as the business had grown, they didnât have enough space to serve their customers at the Dumfries location.
âWhat we found is that our customer base has grown so fastâŠand we were actually missing just as many customers as we were servicing because of the parking and we didnât have any inside seating,â said Harris.
The new location has 40 inside seats and 20 seats on the deck area outside.
âWe wanted more space to be able to serve our customers,â Harris said.
As part of the businessâ expansion, the Lazy Pig is now offering lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will soon be offering a kidâs meal, according to Harris.
