Starting at 7 p.m., one lane on Route 17 between Short Street and Sanford Drive will close.
All Route 17 traffic will be stopped intermittently between midnight and 3 a.m. to install equipment for a temporary traffic signal as part of the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.
Each stop may last up to 30 minutes.
Weather permitting, lane closures on Route 17 are scheduled at the following times:
Wednesday, Nov. 2 – Friday, Nov. 4
7 p.m. – 11:59 p.m. – Single lane closure
Midnight to 3 a.m. – Full traffic stop up to 30 minutes
3 – 6 a.m. – Single lane closure
6 a.m. – All lanes open
Drivers should check 511Virginia for real-time updates. Please visit improve95.org for additional project information.
All work is scheduled, weather permitting. Real-time information on work zones and lane closures is available on 511Virginia.
I-95 Northbound
Exit 110 (Ladysmith) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Wednesday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure at the bridge over the Matta River, at mile markers 117-118. Bridge maintenance.
Exit 118 (Thornburg) to Exit 126 (Spotsylvania)
Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Single lane closure at the bridge over the Po River, at mile markers 119-120. Bridge maintenance.
Exit 130 (Route 3) to Exit 133 (Route 17)
Monday – Friday, 9:30 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Single lane closure between the interchanges for construction on the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.
Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)
Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure at mile markers 135-136 for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
I-95 Southbound
Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Sunday, midnight – 7 a.m. and Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. (except for Friday morning, when all lanes open at 6 a.m.) and Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. Single lane closure for milling at mile markers 140-138 for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) to Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway)
Monday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. Lane closures are scheduled between these interchanges at mile markers 135-134 for construction of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.
9 p.m. – Single lane closure
10 p.m. – Double lane closure
Midnight – 3 a.m. Full traffic stops for up to 30-minute intervals
4:30 a.m. – All lanes open
Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. Single lane closure.
Exit 133 (Route 17) to Exit 130 (Route 3)
Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. and Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. Single lane closure for paving. Construction for the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.
Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) to Exit 118 (Thornburg)
Monday – Tuesday, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. and Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. Single lane closure at the bridge over the Po River, at mile markers 120-119. Bridge maintenance.
Exit 118 (Thornburg) to Exit 110 (Ladysmith)
Tuesday – Wednesday, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. and Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. Single lane closure at the bridge over the Matta River, at mile markers 118-117. Bridge maintenance.
Stafford County
Route 1
Wednesday – Thursday, 7 p.m. – 5 a.m. Mobile lane closures on Route 1 northbound and southbound between Hope Road and Foreston Woods Drive. Pavement marking.
Route 3
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Lane closures and shoulder closures for utility work between Dairy Lane and Rumford Road.
Route 17 Northbound
Sunday – Friday, 7 p.m. – 6 a.m. Single lane closure near the I-95 interchange at exit 133, between Short Street and Sanford Drive/South Gateway Drive.
Route 17 Northbound
Thursday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Single lane closure near the Melchers Drive intersection, which is just north of the Route 1 intersection in the Falmouth area. Pipe replacement.
Route 17 Southbound
Sunday – Friday, 8 p.m. – 7 a.m. Single lane closure near the I-95 interchange at exit 133, between Sanford Drive/South Gateway Drive and Short Street.
Route 610 (Garrisonville Road)
Monday – Tuesday, 7 p.m. – 6 a.m. Mobile lane closures on Route 610 between the Fauquier County line and Joshua Road. Pavement marking.
Eskimo Hill Road
Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Work under the bridge. Alternating lane closures and flagging on Eskimo Hill between Montague Loop and Brooke Road. Flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone.
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mobile lane closure between Route 1 and Brooke Road. Pavement marking.
Kellogg Mill Road
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mobile lane closure near the Mountain View Road intersection. Pavement marking.
Settlers Landing
Tuesday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Ditching and asphalt shoulder repair along Lawhorn Road and Matio Cove. Flaggers will direct drivers in the work zone.
Spotsylvania County
Route 2
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure with one-way, alternating traffic as needed for mobile operation to apply pavement markings between the Caroline County line and Route 17.
Route 3
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Intermittent, brief full traffic stops of Route 3 eastbound and westbound between the Glade Drive/Montpelier Drive and Andora Drive intersections to allow utility crews to install overhead transmission wires, under permit. Each traffic stop may last up to 5 minutes.
Route 3 Westbound
Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 4 a.m. Alternating lane closures for guardrail repair on Route 3 westbound near Spotsylvania Towne Center.
Route 3 Westbound
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Single westbound lane closure between Orange Plank Road and Brock Road. Crews will be slightly widening the road shoulder.
Old Plank Road
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mobile operation to apply pavement markings between Route 3 and Catharpin Road.
Orange Plank Road
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure with one-way, alternating traffic between Winewood Drive and Brock Road. Shoulder widening.
River Road
Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure with one-way, alternating traffic as needed between Bragg Road and Motts Run boat landing area.
Northbound Route 29 (Lee Highway) will have single-lane closures between White Post Road and Paddington Lane, weather permitting, this Halloween, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, to implement a traffic shift, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
During that time, the northbound Route 29 lanes between White Post Road and Paddington Lane will be shifted to the right to allow work on the left side of the bridge over Cub Run. The lanes are expected to be shifted to the right until later this fall.
The shift is part of the project to rehabilitate the northbound Route 29 bridge over Cub Run to improve driver and pedestrian safety and extend the overall life of the bridge. The improvements include:
- Replacing the concrete deck and bridge rails
- Installing steel beams
- Adding a walkway with barrier and connecting the walkway to the existing sidewalk just north of the bridge
- Rebuilding the concrete pedestals
- Replacing the bridge bearings
- Repairing cracks
The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2023.
Visit the VDOT project page for more details.
If you’ve got business at or near the Fairfax County Government Center, charges are coming to a popular exit ramp from Interstate 66.
Crews working to build E-ZPass Express Lanes are preparing to close the ramps at Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road. As early as Monday, October 24, the ramps to I-66 East from Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road will close.
Ramps from I-66 West to Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road will close in early November.
Both ramps will reopen later this year as full-time for drivers on the E–Z Pass Express. The ramps will no longer provide access to and from the general-purpose lanes on I-66.
The ramp closures are dependent on the weather.
The work is part of the eastern section of 22 new miles of E-ZPass Express Lanes that will open on I-66 by the end of the year, between Haymarket and the I-495.
The first nine-mile stretch of the new lanes, from Haymarket in Prince William County to Route 29 in Fairfax County, opened late last month. Drivers may use the tolled lanes with an E-ZPass or E-ZPass Flex.
Drivers with an E-ZPass Flex with two or more occupants in their cars will be able to use the lanes free. Beware, as we reported yesterday, a Warrenton man received a $315 bill after he and his wife used the E-ZPass lanes to get to work.
Although they were carpooling, and the trip was supposed to be free, the automated toll booths mistook their SUV for a commercial vehicle and charged them accordingly.
The driver appealed and won.
Philip Sowers told Potomac Local News he and his wife commute in their Buick SUV to work at an office on Fairfax County Parkway. They decided to use the new E-ZPass lanes when the first segment of the tolled lanes opened late last month, from Haymarket to Route 29 in Fairfax.
The only catch: the Sowers’ SUV had a luggage rack on top, making the vehicle over seven feet tall. The automated toll booths mistakenly took it for a small commercial vehicle and charged Sowers three times the regular toll rate.
Sowers quickly learned that any vehicle taller than seven feet, those pulling a trailer, or trucks with more than axles are charged higher tolls prohibited from using the lanes .
Sowers did nothing wrong. He had an E-ZPass Flex transponder set to HOV mode and a passenger (his wife) in the car, which was supposed to qualify for a toll-free ride. Ultimately, E-ZPass refunded his money and referred him to VDOT to complain.
When Sowers called VDOT, he learned the automatic toll booths marked his vehicle a Class 5, which includes small commercial trucks, vans, buses, and small RVs, subject to three times the toll rates during peak rush hour travel times.
“I don’t remember signing a legal agreement that outlined the class system or having this information included in the fine print when I got my E-ZPass,” said Sowers.
Interstate 66 Mobility Partners, a private group that constructed and managed the lanes, created eight classifications for the vehicles that use the lanes, determining how much more drivers of larger vehicles will pay. VDOT approved the classifications, said Nancy Smith, an I-66 Express Lanes spokeswoman.
Motorcycles, sedans, SUVs, minivans, and large pick-up trucks fall within the first three classifications and are charged regular tolls. Commercial vans, buses moving trucks, and RVs are up the scale and are subject to tolls five times the posted rate during the busiest times on the lanes.
Semis and anything else pulling a trailer in the final class are subject to tolls six times the regular rate during peak times. Signs near the entrances to the lanes warn drivers of “higher tolls for larger vehicles,” and Express Lanes lists the class system on its website.
Smith says Sowers’ case is uncommon. However, “the tolling system is continuously being refined to ensure that drivers enjoy a minimum average speed of 55 mph when using the 66 Express Lanes,” said Smith.
When drivers appeal a charge, the I-66 E-ZPass lanes staff review the claim using video-on-demand technology to see if a driver qualifies for a lower fee.
Since his refund, Sowers removed the luggage rack and continued to use the lanes, which shaved 40 minutes off his roundtrip commute. “Things on the lanes are way less terrible now,” said Sowers.
On September 24, the first nine-mile stretch of the I-66 E-ZPass Express Lanes opened between Haymarket and Route 29. Eventually, the I-66 E-ZPass lanes will span 22 miles between Haymarket and the Captial Beltway and should be open to traffic by the end of the year.
The lanes opening will mark the completion of a Northern Virginia regional network of toll lanes that allow drivers to pay to avoid traffic congestion or ride free with multiple occupants (two or more occupants on I-66, or three or more on I-95, I-395, or I-495), with an E-ZPass Flex transponder, free of charge.
Interstate 95 travelers can expect overnight delays over the next two weeks in the Fredericksburg area for bridge work as part of the 95 E-ZPass Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project.
Starting tonight, crews will begin to lift and install bridge beams for a replacement American Legion Road overpass. This overpass is at mile marker 138 in Stafford County, which is between exit 140 (Courthouse Road) and exit 136 (Centreport Parkway).
Crews will stop all traffic on Interstate 95 during the overnight hours of Tuesday, September 27 through Friday, September 30, and will repeat the following week, on Tuesday, October 4 through early Friday, October 7.
Between midnight and 3 a.m., crews will stop all I-95 traffic intermittently for up to 30 minutes.
Starting Monday, Sept. 26, I-95 will be reduced to one lane at 10 p.m. each evening ahead of the intermittent full traffic stops. Before starting a trip, VDOT strongly encourages motorists to check 511Virginia.org for real-time updates on work zones and traffic conditions.
I-95 Southbound Vehicle Height Restriction
VDOT will implement a new temporary vehicle height restriction of 15 feet, 2 inches on I-95 south at mile marker 138. The restriction will begin on Monday, September 26, and will be in place until early December 2022.
Message boards will be posted tomorrow, September 22, to warn oversize vehicles of the new clearance starting next week, access exit 140 (Courthouse Road), and travel on Route 1 to avoid a bridge strike.
Crews are widening the general purpose travel lanes near the American Legion Road overpass work zone to shift all southbound traffic to a new alignment. Once southbound traffic is shifted to the right of the existing lanes, the temporary height restriction will no longer be needed. The restriction is expected to be removed in early December.
When the American Legion Road overpass opens to traffic in January 2023, it will have a minimum height clearance of 16 feet, 6 inches.
The new two-lane American Legion Road bridge will be slightly wider than the previous structure. The bridge will also be lengthened to accommodate any future I-95 widening.
The 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project is building a 10-mile extension of the Express Lanes in the median of I-95 from south of exit 143 (Route 610) to the vicinity of exit 133 (Route 17) in Stafford.
Currently, there are six bridges under construction as part of the project. Four of the bridges are flyover ramps that will give travelers new access points to the Express Lanes at exit 148 (Quantico), exit 140, and exit 133.
The 10-mile extension of Express Lanes in Stafford is anticipated to open to traffic in late 2023, with project completion in Spring 2024. The public-private project is being built by Transurban and its contractor, Branch Flatiron Joint Venture.
Riding the E-ZPass Express Lanes will cost you as the grace period ends.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and I-66 Express Mobility Partners (EMP), builders of the I-66 E-ZPass Express Lanes, will institute the tolling and HOV rules as planned on Saturday, Sept. 24, on the recently opened western section of 66 Express Lanes.
Drivers can use this nine-mile stretch of new Express Lanes from Route 29 in Gainesville to Route 28 in Centreville by paying a toll or can ride toll-free if traveling as an HOV with two or more people and an E-ZPass Flex.
The westernmost segment of 66 Express Lanes opened to all traffic toll-free on Sept. 10, providing motorists with early travel benefits and the opportunity to become familiar with the new lanes and access points. This section of Express Lanes opened ahead of schedule and in advance of the remaining 13 miles of 66 Express Lanes from Route 28 in Centreville to I-495 (Capital Beltway), which are currently scheduled to open in December 2022.
What Drivers Need to Know:
- Once tolling and HOV rules go into effect, drivers will see their individual toll price on electronic signs in advance of choosing to enter the lanes.
- Tolls for the 66 Express Lanes will be based on traffic volumes and speed, in order to manage demand for the lanes and keep traffic moving.
- Passenger vehicles such as cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks will pay the same toll rate.
- Larger vehicles and large trucks are allowed to use the 66 Express Lanes but will pay a higher rate.
- Motorcycles can use the lanes for free.
- Drivers can pay their tolls using an E-ZPass transponder or by using one of the other payment options available through I-66 EMP such as paying online, via the mail, by calling 833-643-2867, or in person at the 66 Express Lanes Customer Service Center in Manassas. Payment options other than E-ZPass will incur administrative fees. More information can be found at Ride66express.com.
- Drivers can obtain an E-ZPass at ezpassva.com, by calling 877-762-7824, or in person at many Giant and Wegmans grocery stores in Northern Virginia, as well as at AAA offices, Fairfax Connector stores, and DMV Customer Service Centers.
Details for HOV Travelers:
- Eligible HOVs can use the 66 Express Lanes toll-free but must have an E-ZPass Flex set to the “HOV On” mode.
- Vehicles must have two or more occupants to qualify as HOV.
- When the remaining portion of the 66 Express Lanes opens later this year, vehicles will need to have three or more occupants to qualify as an HOV.
- This change from HOV-2+ to HOV-3+ will apply across the entire I-66 corridor between Route 15 in Haymarket and the Washington, D.C. line – including 66 Express Lanes located inside and outside the Beltway – and is consistent with HOV requirements on the other Express Lanes in Northern Virginia.
How to Access the 66 Express Lanes Western Section:
- Drivers traveling eastbound on I-66 can merge onto the Express Lanes from the general purpose lanes prior to Route 29 in Gainesville and by using a slip ramp prior to Route 234 Business.
- Drivers traveling westbound on I-66 can access the Express Lanes from the general purpose lanes prior to Route 28.
- New dedicated ramps provide access at Route 234 Business, Route 28, and Braddock and Walney roads, as well as from two new commuter parking lots at University Boulevard (Gainesville) and Century Park Drive (Manassas), which were built as part of the overall Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project.
Motorists are urged to continue using caution when traveling on I-66, as active construction, including paving operations, lane shifts, and work on interchanges, bridges and ramps, continues in many areas. Following the anticipated December opening of the remaining 66 Express Lanes, final construction elements will continue and are scheduled to be completed in mid-2023.
Visit ride66express.com to learn more about the lanes and transform66.org to stay informed about I-66 construction activities.
Interstate 95 travelers can expect overnight delays over the next two weeks in the Fredericksburg area for bridge work as part of the 95 E-ZPass Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project.
Next week, crews will begin to lift and install bridge beams for a replacement American Legion Road overpass. This overpass is at mile marker 138 in Stafford County, which is between exit 140 (Courthouse Road) and exit 136 (Centreport Parkway).
Crews will stop all traffic on Interstate 95 during the overnight hours of Tuesday, September 27 through Friday, September 30, and will repeat the following week, on Tuesday, October 4 through early Friday, October 7.
Between midnight and 3 a.m., crews will stop all I-95 traffic intermittently for up to 30 minutes.
Starting Monday, Sept. 26, I-95 will be reduced to one lane at 10 p.m. each evening ahead of the intermittent full traffic stops. Before starting a trip, VDOT strongly encourages motorists to check 511Virginia.org for real-time updates on work zones and traffic conditions.
I-95 Southbound Vehicle Height Restriction
VDOT will implement a new temporary vehicle height restriction of 15 feet, 2 inches on I-95 south at mile marker 138. The restriction will begin on Monday, September 26, and will be in place until early December 2022.
Message boards will be posted tomorrow, September 22, to warn oversize vehicles of the new clearance starting next week, access exit 140 (Courthouse Road), and travel on Route 1 to avoid a bridge strike.
Crews are widening the general purpose travel lanes near the American Legion Road overpass work zone to shift all southbound traffic to a new alignment. Once southbound traffic is shifted to the right of the existing lanes, the temporary height restriction will no longer be needed. The restriction is expected to be removed in early December.
When the American Legion Road overpass opens to traffic in January 2023, it will have a minimum height clearance of 16 feet, 6 inches.
The new two-lane American Legion Road bridge will be slightly wider than the previous structure. The bridge will also be lengthened to accommodate any future I-95 widening.
The 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension project is building a 10-mile extension of the Express Lanes in the median of I-95 from south of exit 143 (Route 610) to the vicinity of exit 133 (Route 17) in Stafford.
Currently, there are six bridges under construction as part of the project. Four of the bridges are flyover ramps that will give travelers new access points to the Express Lanes at exit 148 (Quantico), exit 140, and exit 133.
The 10-mile extension of Express Lanes in Stafford is anticipated to open to traffic in late 2023, with project completion in Spring 2024. The public-private project is being built by Transurban and its contractor, Branch Flatiron Joint Venture.
The exit from I-66 East to Route 28 North will be modified by Friday morning, September 2, 2022, changing how drivers from I-66 East access Route 28 North and the Braddock Road/Walney Road exit.
Following this traffic pattern change:
- Drivers from I-66 East to Route 28 North will use the current flyover ramp to cross over I-66, then stay to the left at a new split and use new roadway to travel under the Braddock Road/Walney Road overpass, then merge with Route 28 North.
- Drivers from I-66 East to Braddock Road/Walney Road will use the current flyover ramp to cross over I-66, then stay to the right at the new split to join the ramp from Route 28 North to Braddock Road/Walney Road.
- Drivers from Route 28 North to Braddock Road/Walney Road will continue to stay to the left over I-66 and use the current left exit to Braddock Road/Walney Road.
- Drivers through the area on Route 28 North should be alert for vehicles merging from the left north of the Braddock Road/Walney Road overpass.
This will be the permanent movement for this ramp as part of the reconstruction of the I-66/Route 28 Interchange for the Transform 66 Outside of the Beltway Project, which is adding E-ZPass Express lanes to the highway between Haymarket and I-495.
