The Quantico Train Station’s new construction will be completed by early 2025 and will feature a pedestrian bridge and extended platforms to improve transit efficiency and safety for the 6,000 daily passengers.
Press release
The Quantico Train Station’s new construction is scheduled to be completed before the start of 2025, improving the transit efficiency and commuter experience for the 6,000 daily passengers who use and pass through the station.
The improvements include a pedestrian bridge that sits above the tracks, leading pedestrians to all three platforms, which are also to be extended.
“It will be nice when they get it all done, and we don’t have to wait anymore at the crosswalk for trains coming through,” said George Ramsey, a MCCS Quantico Marine Corps Community Services employee on MCBQ and frequent train passenger. “There are many, many, many times I remember getting stuck on one side or the other because of a train you weren’t expecting to come through while waiting for a train.”Virginia Railway Express Chief Engineer Dallas Richards explained many of its new features and how it will improve the safety for commuters and pedestrians.
“The bridge includes three staircases and three elevators which will help commuters get to all three platforms safely,” said Richards, and emphasized that “both extended platforms will allow commuters to board and deboard all eight passenger cars at the same time, which will be much safer and efficient.”
The project will also add a third track, improving the fluidity between the different organizations.Originally built in 1953, the Quantico Train Station was totally renovated by the VRE in April of 2005, and these new renovations mark the largest change to alleviate commuter congestion.
“The third track reduces delays and will give VRE, Amtrak and freight rail, the capability of using all three tracks to limit congestion,” said Brett Sanders, the CSX lead engineer.
From the start, he mentioned, the success of the project couldn’t have happened without everyone working together.
Learning Lane will close for emergency storm water pipe repairs beginning August 16, 2024. The detour route will direct drivers southbound on Patriot Highway (US 1), turning left onto Harrison Road, left onto Lafayette Boulevard, left onto Hotchkiss Street, right onto Rose Avenue, and left onto Pender Street to reach Learning Lane.
Parents, staff, and school buses for Lafayette Elementary and Walker-Grant Middle School are advised to use Lafayette Boulevard to Pender Street for arrivals. Exiting traffic should use Pender Street to Rose Avenue, then Hotchkiss Street at the traffic light.
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Starting Sunday, July 28, drivers on Route 3 westbound in Fredericksburg will experience brief overnight delays and a temporary rough ride as crews begin resurfacing the road and updating lane markings. The work will stretch from Gateway Boulevard to Woodlyn Drive and is expected to take about two weeks.
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Three men, two of which were wanted, were found and captured after a pursuit that started and ended in the area of Centreport Parkway. On July 23rd at approximately 5:36 p.m. First Sergeant A.I. Assur was on Kings Highway when he observed a wanted suspect in a black Honda Civic. Unable to conduct a traffic stop at the time, First Sergeant Assur broadcasted the vehicle description to nearby deputies, as well as, the Virginia State Police. Moments later, the vehicle was spotted by deputies traveling Northbound on Richmond Highway in the area of Centreport Parkway. Deputy J.W. McAlister activated his emergency equipment in an attempt to conduct a high-risk stop; however, the driver fled at a high rate of speed onto Northbound I-95 while failing to maintain the lane of travel. Additional deputies, with the assistance of Virginia State Police, pursued the vehicle as it traveled Northbound I-95, exited Westbound onto Courthouse Road, before getting onto Southbound I-95 back towards Centreport Parkway. When the suspect vehicle got off I-95 and began traveling Eastbound on Centrport Parkway, Deputy McAlister, who is P.I.T. certified, made intentional vehicle contact. This was successful and pushed the vehicle off the roadway, up an embankment, and ended the vehicle pursuit. As a result of the crash, one deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital out of abundance of caution. All three occupants within the suspect vehicle took off on foot. The driver fled across the I-95 Northbound ramp and up an embankment. Deputy B.E. Vaughn quickly exited his vehicle and gave chase. The driver had difficulty running up the embankment and was easily apprehended by Deputy Vaughn. The driver had pinpoint pupils, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Due to these signs of intoxication, Deputy D.S. Jett, a Drug Recognition Expert, conducted field sobriety tests. Furthermore, Deputy Jett, who is also a certified phlebotomist, collected the driver’s blood for testing. DUI charges are pending those results. During his fleeing attempt, the driver would discard a bottle containing suspected controlled substances. The second occupant, identified as the back passenger, ran across Centreport Parkway towards the Northbound I-95 off ramp. While doing so, he passed directly in front of Deputy B.W. Gildea, who quickly exited his vehicle and gave chase. He was able to apprehend the suspect without further incident. The suspect was discovered to be wanted by the U.S. Marshals. The third occupant, identified as the front passenger, ran into the nearby woods as Sergeant B.U. Demirci gave chase. While Sergeant Demirci lost sight of the suspect, he did locate the suspect’s shoes he left behind during his fleeing attempt. Deputy F.A. Martinez deployed his K-9 partner, Mija, and began tracking the suspect from the shoe’s location. Mija led deputies right to the suspect, who once again began fleeing on foot. Luckily, members of the SWAT team finished an operation just prior to the pursuit and assisted in establishing a perimeter. When the suspect fled from Mija, he ran directly towards the waiting deputies along the perimeter and was taken into custody without further incident. The driver, Nicholas Morales, 28, of Woodbridge, was charged with felony eluding, driving while revoked, felony hit and run, eluding police on foot, obstruction of justice, littering, possession of controlled substances, reckless driving, and failure to maintain his lane. He was wanted out of Prince William County for felony eluding, reckless driving, driving while revoked, and having an expired registration. He was served on those warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The back passenger, Ajee Whitter, 30, of Arlington, was charged with felony failure to report a hit and run with injury, and eluding police on foot. He was wanted by the U.S. Marshals for an escape offense. He was served on those warrants and held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. The front passenger, Raymond Whalen, 24, of Chantilly, was charged with felony failure to report a hit and run with injury, and eluding police on foot. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. Amazing teamwork to all law enforcement personnel involved. We would like to thank Virginia State Police for their assistance, as well as, members of our SWAT Team who quickly jumped into action. We are praying for a speedy recovery for our injured deputy.
Happening Now: A pursuit on Centreport Parkway has ended and all suspects are detained. One deputy was injured. The road is still closed and the investigation is ongoing. There is no danger to the public and we will release more information when it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/VfWOIPKuQo
— StaffordCoSheriff (@staffcosheriff) July 23, 2024
OmniRide will implement a service change on Monday, July 29, 2o24, which includes schedule adjustments, fare increases, and route alterations.
Notable changes include the combination and elimination of some routes, the introduction of new timetables, and updated routing for various Express, Metro Express, and Local routes. The OmniRide Express base fare also increased from $9 to $11 each way. Read More
Heads up in Nokesville: VDOT plans to close a portion of Glenkirk Road on Wednesday.
Weather permitting, Glenkirk Road (Route 675) will be closed at Vint Hill Road (Route 215) Wednesday, July 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for tree work, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Those needing to reach properties along Glenkirk Road will have access; however, drivers will only be able to access Glenkirk Road via Hamill Run Drive and points northward. The work site will be just south of the property at 14951 Glenkirk Road.
Through traffic will be detoured via Vint Hill Road, Rollins Ford Road and Hamill Run Drive back to Glenkirk Road. Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.
You can get traffic, work zone and incident information online at 511virginia.org, via the free mobile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511 in Virginia anywhere anytime.
Update 1:30 p.m. -- CSX, the corporation that owns the railroad, just provided us with a statement. The incident involved no hazardous materials or injuries, with first responders swiftly addressing the situation while the cause is under investigation.
At approximately 9:00 p.m. yesterday , a CSX train derailed several rail cars near Cobblestone Dr. in Fredricksburg, VA. A garage structure adjacent to the rail line was impacted by the incident. No hazardous materials were involved and there were no reports of injuries. CSX appreciates the swift response of the Fredricksburg City first responders. The safety of response personnel and the surrounding community is our top priority as we work to recover the derailed cars and work to completely restore the area. The cause of the incident is under investigation.Updated 8 a.m. Sunday: A freight train derailed and collided with buildings at the Cobblestone Square apartment complex near the city's train station. No one was injured. More from Fredericksburg police:
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at Cobblestone Square, at 8:54 p.m. They found that a CSX Freight Train had derailed and collided with the garage buildings on the property. The property is separated from the train tracks by a large wall located behind the garage buildings. Five cars of the CSX Freight Train had derailed and crashed into the large wall, causing it to collapse into four garages. Thankfully, there were no injuries since the train had no passengers on board. The Fire Department conducted a preliminary search of the area and found no injuries, only property damage. Although hazardous materials were found on the train car, they were secure and were not part of the derailed cars. At the time of this release, the Fire Department, Police Department, and building officials were still at the scene. CSX will be taking over the investigation.Amtrak, which also uses the line, tells us there is no disruption in service.
News Release: CSX Freight Train Derails into Cobblestone Square
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at… pic.twitter.com/UaIKSNZ9nH — FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024
? Active Event ?
There has been a train derailment in the area of 400 block Cobblestone Drive. Seven cars derailed and struck a structure behind Cobblestone. No hazardous materials were on board and so far, there are no known injuries. There is no threat to the general public.… pic.twitter.com/hv6XNfjQ02 — FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.
Summit School Road Extension
Following a groundbreaking ceremony, Lake Ridge’s Summit School Road project is now underway and marks the county’s infrastructure development. This 1.2-mile extension stretches from Kinnicutt Drive to Telegraph Road and will be transformed into a four-lane divided roadway. The project will widen Telegraph Road from Caton Hill Road to Prince William Parkway, increasing it from two to four lanes. Enhancements include a raised grass median, a five-foot sidewalk, and a ten-foot shared-use path to accommodate additional pedestrian traffic.
In addition to this project, the Horner Road Commuter Lot, already the largest in Virginia, will expand with 57 new parking spaces. County officials said this extension alleviates congestion and improves mobility along Minnieville Road.
The project, which had a $40 million budget, received $38 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and $2 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for the commuter lot expansion. Kimley-Horn and Associates handled the design, initiated in December 2019, while Sagres Construction Corporation undertook the construction starting in June 2024.
Neabsco Mills Road Widening
The Neabsco Mills Road Widening Project spans the Neabsco and Woodbridge Magisterial Districts in Woodbridge. This project improved and widened Neabsco Mills Road from Smoke Court to Route 1, transforming it into a four-lane divided roadway with pedestrian facilities on both sides. The project also enhanced the intersection at Neabsco Mills and Route 1 and adjusted the road’s alignment to meet current design standards.
With a budget of $34.3 million, the project was fully funded through federal, state, regional, and local sources, including $8.9 million from NVTA 30% funding. Rinker Design Associates (RDA) began the design phase in June 2017, and Sagres Construction Corporation commenced construction in October 2022.
The improved roadway and pedestrian facilities significantly enhance access to key local sites such as Freedom High School, Northern Virginia Community College’s Woodbridge Campus, and various retail, hospitality, and residential areas.
These projects are part of Prince William County’s broader transportation capital improvement program, which exceeds $1.3 billion and includes various multimodal projects. These initiatives range from sidewalk and traffic safety projects to major interchanges and road widening, all aimed at enhancing transportation infrastructure across the county.
The projects follow the opening of a new interchange at Prince William Parkway, Dumfries, and Brentsville Roads outside Manassas.
Correction: An earlier version of this article reported that the Summitt School Road project was completed.Â
Route 636 (Hood Drive) in Spotsylvania County will reopen to two-way traffic on the morning of Friday, July 19. The reopening will allow southbound traffic to travel from Route 208 (Courthouse Road) to Route 1. Westbound Courthouse Road traffic can turn left onto southbound Hood Drive or make a U-turn to eastbound Courthouse Road.
Hood Drive had been limited to northbound traffic only since July 2023 for construction. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) says two road improvement projects are nearly complete, with full completion expected by August 2024. The projects involved adding new turn lanes, a raised median, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossing equipment. Hood Drive sees about 11,000 vehicles daily.
