Lane closures, construction, and repair projects are scheduled across various highways and local roads in the Fredericksburg District, including sections of I-95, Route 1, and Route 17. Additional closures and detours are planned for bridge repairs, road widening, and infrastructure improvements in multiple counties, with some projects extending into 2025-2026.

Press release:

All work is scheduled weather permitting. Updated information on work zones and lane closures is available on 511.VDOT.Virginia.Gov.

Interstate 95 Northbound and Southbound

Exit 133 (Falmouth/Warrenton) to Exit 148 (Quantico)
Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mobile shoulder closures on I-95 northbound and southbound for overhead sign base inspection. All interstate travel lanes will remain open.

Interstate 95 Southbound

Exit 126 (Spotsylvania) Off-Ramp
Sunday – Friday, 7 p.m.-10 a.m. Alternating single-lane closures on the off-ramp from Interstate 95 southbound to Route 1. Construction to widen the ramp and add a right-turn lane to Route 1 southbound.

King George County

Route 218 (Caledon Road)
Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closure on Route 218 near the intersection with Comorn Road and Vertical Ridge Road. Guardrail installation. A flagging crew will direct one-way, alternating traffic as needed.

Route 218 (Caledon Road)
Sunday – Thursday, 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Flagging operation at the bridge over railroad tracks near Route 206. Bridge repairs. A flagging crew will direct one-way, alternating traffic through the work zone.

King William County

Route 360 Eastbound (Richmond/Tappahannock Highway)
Sunday – Thursday, 7 p.m.-6 a.m. and Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Alternating lane closures for bridge repairs on Route 360 eastbound between Route 30 and Hanover County line.

Spotsylvania County

Route 1
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. All travel lanes will remain open, but the alignment of the Route 1 travel lanes has shifted slightly between Arcadia Road and Mudd Tavern Road for road improvement work connected with the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions development. Permit work. Construction will also be underway along the road shoulder.

Route 1 Northbound and Southbound
Sunday – Friday, 7 p.m.-10 a.m. Alternating single and double lane closures on Route 1 between the I-95 southbound off-ramp and Southpoint Parkway. Single lane closures starting at 7 p.m. and double lane closures starting at 9 p.m.

Route 1 at Southpoint Parkway
Sunday, 6 a.m.-10 a.m. Intermittent northbound and southbound turn lane closures on Route 1 at the Southpoint Parkway intersection. Traffic signal maintenance.

Harrison Road
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Single lane closure between Kingswood Boulevard and Salem Church Road/Leavells Road with one-way, alternating traffic. Installation of water main under permit.

Millsgarden South Subdivision
Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mobile lane closures for road resurfacing on various routes in the Millsgarden South subdivision.

Southpoint Parkway
Sunday – Friday, 7:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m., and Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closures between Pacific Drive and Route 1.

Spotsylvania Parkway
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closures between Deep Creek Drive/New Berne Road and Holley Oak Drive/Yellow Birch Drive for traffic signal work.

Summers Landing Subdivision
Monday – Tuesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mobile lane closures for road resurfacing on various routes in the Summers Landing subdivision.

Stafford County

Route 1 Northbound and Southbound
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Single lane closure between South Campus Boulevard and the Potomac Creek bridge. Fiber installation. Permit work.

Route 3 (Kings Highway)
Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Alternating lane closures on Route 3 at the bridge over CSX railroad tracks, which is between Cool Springs Road and Chatham Heights Road. Bridge repairs.

Route 17 Northbound
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Right lane closure between Poplar Road and Hartwood Church Road. Fiber installation. Permit work.

Route 17 Southbound
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Single lane closure between Village Parkway and Hartwood Church Road for waterline and sewer line installation under permit.

Route 17 Southbound
Monday – Tuesday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closure on Route 17 southbound near Marsh Road. Guardrail installation.

Route 218 (White Oak Road)
Monday – Tuesday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closure on Route 218 near Glebe Road. Guardrail installation. A flagging crew will direct one-way, alternating traffic as needed.

Route 610 (Garrisonville Road)
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Single lane closure on Route 610 between Algrace Boulevard and Ripley Road. Construction for turn lane extension. Permit work.

Berea Church Road CLOSURE
Berea Church Road is closed from Berea Knolls Drive to Theresa Garden Place, and northbound access is closed from Route 17 to Berea Knolls Drive. Construction for a Stafford County project to improve Berea Church Road. View the project page at staffordcountyva.gov.

Willows Subdivision
Wednesday – Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Crews will be applying fresh shoulder stone along multiple routes in the Willows subdivision. A flagging crew will direct one-way, alternating traffic as needed.

Additional Projects in Fredericksburg District

Caroline County

Route 638 (South River Road) Bridge Replacement
Construction is underway to replace the Route 638 (South River Road) bridge over South River. A portion of South River Road is closed with a detour in place. The project will be complete by Sept. 2025.

City of Fredericksburg

Route 1 at Fall Hill Avenue, and Route 1 at Princess Anne Street and Hanson Avenue
Intersection improvement projects are underway on Route 1 at the intersections with Fall Hill Avenue and Princess Anne Street/Hanson Avenue. Construction will be complete by June 2026. Intermittent single lane and shoulder closures will be needed at times, but most lane closures will occur overnight, and outside of peak weekday commute times.

Lafayette Boulevard at Twin Lakes/Kensington
Construction is underway on a $2.4 million bicycle and pedestrian connector project. Most construction will occur on the road shoulders and outside of the travel lanes. The project will be complete by Nov. 2025.

City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County

Route 1 over the Rappahannock River (Falmouth Bridge)
The northbound right lane is closed on the Route 1 bridge over the Rappahannock River (Falmouth Bridge) for an emergency bridge repair project. Two southbound lanes and a single northbound lane remain open. The sidewalk along the northbound lanes is also closed on the bridge. Northbound Route 1 delays at peak times are likely. A vehicle weight limit is posted for this bridge at 16 tons for single-unit vehicles and 24 tons for tractor-trailers. Emergency repairs are under design. An estimated project completion date will be available once the design is complete.

Essex County

Route 639 (Walnut Shade Road)
Route 639 (Walnut Shade Road) is closed to through traffic at Baylors Creek due to a culvert failure that also damaged the road’s travel surface. Walnut Shade Road is anticipated to be closed to through traffic through mid-January 2025, while repair work is underway. Motorists should follow signs posted along the recommended detour route, which is approximately 9 miles long.

Gloucester County and Mathews County

Route 3/14 Westbound Bridge Rehabilitation
A major bridge rehabilitation project is underway on the Route 3/Route 14 westbound bridge over Burke Mill Stream, which is located at the Mathews and Gloucester line. Crews are improving the 76-year-old structure by replacing the bridge deck, beams, bridge railings, and guardrails. The westbound Route 3/14 travel lanes are closed at Windsor Road. Eastbound and westbound Route 3/14 traffic is crossing the eastbound bridge, with one lane open in each direction. Left turns from Windsor Road to Route 14 eastbound are prohibited. Project completion in Nov. 2025.

King and Queen County and King William County

Route 628 (Dorrell Road/Spring Cottage Road) Bridge Closure
Dorrell Road/Spring Cottage Road is closed at the bridge over the Mattaponi River, located at the King and Queen and King William county line. A detour route is posted. Construction is underway on a major bridge rehabilitation project. The road will remain closed until early June 2025. The bridge closed for motorist safety in March 2023 after a routine inspection found significant deterioration in key bridge elements.

King George County and Westmoreland County

Route 205 (Ridge Road) Bridge Repairs
Ridge Road is reduced to one lane beginning at the bridge over Rosier Creek for repairs. A temporary traffic signal directs one-way, alternating traffic on Route 205. This traffic pattern is in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Route 205 will be reduced to a single lane at Rosier Creek for approximately three months, through late Jan. 2025.

Spotsylvania County

I-95 Southbound Exit 126 Off-Ramp and Route 1 Southbound
A second right turn lane is under construction from the I-95 southbound off-ramp at exit 126 onto Route 1 southbound. Route 1 southbound is being widened from the off-ramp to Southpoint Parkway with an additional turn lane. A second right turn lane is being added from Route 1 southbound to Southpoint Parkway. Traffic islands will be installed along Southpoint Parkway as a safety improvement to allow left turns into driveways but restrict through and left-turning traffic exiting from side streets. Project completion in Aug. 2025.

Route 606 (Mudd Tavern Road) Widening
Mudd Tavern Road is being widened to four lanes between I-95 and Route 1. A new secondary access route, Route 2092, is under construction parallel to Mudd Tavern Road and will connect with South Roxbury Mill Road and Dan Bell Lane. Project completion in May 2025.

Route 620 (Harrison Road) Reconstruction and Widening
Harrison Road is being widened to four lanes between Gordon Road and Old Plank Road. The project will build a center turn lane along Harrison Road and additional through travel lanes at the Old Plank Road and Gordon Road intersections, and extend the current turn lanes at these intersections. Sidewalks will be built along Harrison Road, and pedestrian crossing signal equipment and crosswalks will be added at the Old Plank Road and Gordon Road intersections. Project completion late summer 2026.

Westmoreland County

Route 658 (Monroe Bay Circle)
Monroe Bay Circle is closed at the bridge over Monroe Creek, as construction begins to build a new bridge over Monroe Creek. Motorists are to follow the posted detour. Monroe Bay Circle will be closed until the new bridge opens in Sept. 2025.

Commuting and Ridesharing Information

GWRideConnect is a free ridesharing information and matching service for the Fredericksburg area, and is part of the George Washington Regional Commission.

Let GWRideConnect help you discover your commuting options, such as carpools, vanpools, and transit. Visit gwrideconnect.org or call 540-373-7665.

Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors and School Board members convened at the Kelly Leadership Building to address pressing legislative priorities for 2025. Among the key issues discussed was the urgent need for enhanced authority to mitigate speeding and improve roadway safety throughout the county.

Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry emphasized the ongoing dangers on local roads, including Cardinal Drive, a corridor that has seen multiple fatalities in recent years. He highlighted the limitations of current state-level control over traffic measures, stating, “We need more authority to install speed cameras and implement other speed control measures in non-school and non-construction zones.” Angry also criticized the reliance on fatality thresholds before state agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), prioritize action, calling for more proactive measures to save lives.

Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin echoed these concerns, advocating for increased flexibility at the local level to implement speed mitigation strategies. “VDOT’s standards often don’t reflect the on-the-ground realities of our communities,” she said, pointing to data-driven studies that fail to capture residents’ daily experiences with speeding and unsafe driving.

The meeting also addressed the potential benefits of leveraging modern technology to enhance traffic enforcement. Angry underscored the need to maximize the use of speed-monitoring devices, noting that police officers, while crucial, cannot address every issue. “We live in a technology age—why aren’t we doing more to use it to our advantage?” he asked.

In addition to seeking legislative changes, county officials stressed the importance of addressing these challenges comprehensively by improving local partnerships with VDOT and other transportation entities. They also emphasized the need for sustainable funding to support regional transportation initiatives, including the OmniRide bus system, a critical link for residents across the county’s 348 square miles.

The Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and adjourn on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

In February 2024, the Prince William County Department of Transportation announced that it would launch an Automated Traffic Enforcement Pilot Program in February to enhance safety in school zones. The initiative aims to reduce severe injuries and fatalities on county roads by using automated enforcement measures.

The program would initially target school zones at Battlefield High School, Woodbridge High School, Old Bridge Elementary School, Fitzgerald Elementary School, Patriot High School, and T. Clay Wood Elementary School. During the first 30 days, violators will receive warnings for speeding in active school zones.

Following this grace period, speeding drivers will face a $100 fine, although citations will not affect driving records, demerit points, or insurance premiums.

Press Release:

Transurban North America, operator of the 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia State Police (VSP) are partnering to launch an innovative defensive driving safety campaign targeted to motorists traveling along interstates 95, 395, and 495.

The campaign uses messaging that urges motorists to drive defensively due to the hazards posed by other travelers’ unsafe behavior, such as speeding, texting, and aggressive driving. The partnership is using results from an initial pilot campaign initiative aimed at Express Lanes users on I-95 and I-495, which showed that positive changes in motorists’ behavior can be achieved through communicating the risk of other drivers’ actions.

“When drivers are aware of potential risks, they’re more likely to adjust their own behaviors and drive more cautiously,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “By focusing on the unpredictable actions of others—like speeding or texting—we’re tapping into a mindset that encourages drivers to stay alert and take greater responsibility for safety, which we believe will lead to lasting behavior change across Northern Virginia.”

“If you are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, your safety and the safety of those around you should be a top priority,” said VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich. “Stay focused on the task at hand, drive the posted speed limit, and pay attention to the motorists around you. Our partnered safety campaign with Transurban, DMV, and VSP is set to remind everyone to do just that.”

The campaign will include radio, digital, and social media advertisements funded by the private partner, Transurban. It will also pilot trial messaging on Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) located on both the general purpose and Express Lanes.

“We know, first hand, the difference driver behavior can make in reducing the number of crashes and fatalities on Virginia’s roadways,” said Lt. Col Matt Hanley, Interim Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “We encourage all drivers to slow down, limit distractions, and drive defensively so that everyone can get to their destination safely.”

Through the public-private partnership effort, Transurban, VDOT, DMV and VSP are focused on reversing a deadly trend. Motor vehicle crashes were one of the top four leading causes of death from 2015 to 2019 for Virginians between the ages of 5 and 34, according to the Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan. In 2023, 23,309 crashes occurred on Virginia interstates resulting in 139 fatalities, according to the DMV.

“Safety is personal to us at Transurban – both as a company with safety at the forefront of our Express Lanes operations and as community members traveling our region’s roadways every day,” said Beau Memory, President, Transurban North America. “That is why together with our partners, Transurban is putting cutting-edge behavioral research to work with the launch of this safety campaign to move this region further towards its Vision Zero goals by promoting a defensive driving mindset.”

A fall 2023 pilot conducted by Transurban found the message “Watch Out for Speeders” on roadway DMS helped decrease speeding along the corridor by about 2%. While seemingly slight, studies have shown that this would equate to an approximate 8% reduction in fatality risk.

A spring 2022 survey of 400 Washington, D.C. regional drivers commissioned by Transurban and conducted by APCO Insight informed the on-road pilot. It found drivers overwhelmingly feel they are safe on the road despite engaging in risky behavior, like texting and speeding, while simultaneously believing others on the road cannot safely drive and engage in those behaviors. Further, advisory sign messages that warned of other drivers’ dangerous behaviors were ranked by motorists as a top reason to improve their own behavior.

Throughout the defensive driving campaign, continued research is anticipated to expand roadway safety knowledge and effectiveness of driver behavior initiatives.

Together, VDOT and Transurban are currently delivering the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project that will offer new travel options to the millions of customers who travel the Express Lanes network.

For over a dozen years, Transurban has worked alongside the Commonwealth of Virginia to improve the safety of motorists on some of the most heavily-traveled highway corridors in the Washington, D.C., region while constructing complex infrastructure projects.

Press release:

VDOT HOT SPOTS IN THE FREDERICKSBURG DISTRICT

Dec. 1 – 7, 2024

All work is scheduled weather permitting. Updated information on work zones and lane closures is available on 511.VDOT.Virginia.Gov. VDOT suspended many highway work zones and lifted most lane closures on interstates and other major roads from noon today, Nov. 27 until noon on Monday, Dec. 2, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

I-95 Northbound

Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) to Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)

Tuesday – Wednesday, 8 p.m.-4:30 a.m. Single lane closure to gather soil samples. Permit work.

City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County

Route 1 Northbound at Falmouth Bridge

The northbound Route 1 lane is closed on the bridge for an emergency repair project. Two southbound lanes and a single northbound lane remain open. Northbound Route 1 delays at peak times are likely. A vehicle weight limit is posted for this bridge, at 16 tons for single-unit vehicles and 24 tons for tractor-trailers.

City of Fredericksburg

Fall Hill Avenue

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Alternating lane closures. Work on pedestrian crossing signal equipment.

Lafayette Boulevard at Twin Lakes/Kensington

Starting Tuesday, Dec. 3, work will start on $2.4 million bicycle and pedestrian connector project. Most of the construction will be on the shoulders and outside of the travel lanes. Read the release here.

King George County

Route 3 (Kings Highway)

Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Left lane closure on westbound Route 3 near Lambs Creek Road for guardrail repair.

Route 218

Sunday – Thursday, 8 p.m.-6 a.m. Flagging operation at the bridge over railroad tracks near Route 206 for repairs. Flaggers will alternate, one-way traffic through the work zone.

Spotsylvania County

Route 1 Northbound and Southbound

Monday – Friday, 7 p.m.-10 a.m. Alternating single and double lane closures between I-95 southbound off-ramp and Southpoint Parkway. Single lane closures starting at 7 p.m. and double lane closures starting at 9 p.m.

Monday – Friday, 7 p.m.- 10 a.m. on Single lane closures between the I-95 southbound off-ramp and Southpoint Parkway.

Route 1 at Southpoint Parkway

Thursday – Friday, 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Mobile operation with alternating lane closures to allow crews to conduct routine safety inspections of the traffic signal poles at the intersection.

Route 1 at Hodgins Road

Friday – Saturday, 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Mobile operation with alternating lane closures to allow crews to conduct routine safety inspections of the traffic signal poles at intersection.

Route 1

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. All travel lanes will remain open, but the alignment of the Route 1 travel lanes has shifted slightly between Arcadia Road and Mudd Tavern Road for road improvement work connected with the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions development. Permit work. Construction will also be underway along the road shoulder.

Route 3

Monday – Thursday, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Single lane closures between Spotswood Furnace Road and Corter Avenue for permit work.

Route 17 Business

Thursday – Friday, 7 p.m.- 6 a.m. Mobile operation with alternating lane closures to allow crews to conduct routine safety inspections of the traffic signal poles at the Lee’s Hill Drive intersection.

Edenton Road

Tuesday – Thursday, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Pipe replacement near Dickerson Road. Road will close with a daily detour. Crews will reopen the road at the end of each shift to allow accessibility overnight.

Harrison Road

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Single lane closure between Kingswood Boulevard and Salem Church Road/Leavells Road with one-way, alternating traffic. Installation of water main under permit.

Harrison Road at Long Branch Drive

Tuesday – Thursday, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Guardrail repair. Flaggers will direct drivers through the work zone.

Locklear Landing Subdivision

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mobile lane closures for patching work ahead of upcoming road resurfacing on various routes in the Locklear Landing subdivision.

Millsgarden South Subdivision

Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mobile lane closures for patching work ahead of upcoming road resurfacing on various routes in the Millsgarden South subdivision.

Southpoint Parkway

Monday – Friday, 7:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m., and Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closures between Pacific Drive and Route 1.

Spotsylvania Parkway

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Single lane closures between Deep Creek Drive/New Berne Road and Holley Oak Drive/Yellow Brinch Drive for signal work.

Summers Landing Subdivision

Monday –Tuesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mobile lane closures for road resurfacing on various routes in the Summers Landing subdivision.

Stafford County

Route 1 Northbound and Southbound

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Single lane closure between South Campus Boulevard and the Potomac Creek bridge. Fiber installation. Permit work.

Route 1 Southbound

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Single lane closure between Layhill Road and Potomac Creek Drive. Utility installation. Permit work.

Route 3 (Kings Highway)

Sunday – Tuesday, 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Alternating lane closures on Route 3 at the bridge over CSX railroad tracks, which is between Cool Springs Road and Chatham Heights Road. Bridge repairs.

Route 17 Southbound

Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Single lane closure between Village Parkway and Hartwood Church Road for waterline and sewer line installation under permit.

Route 17 Northbound

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Right lane closure between Poplar Road and Hartwood Church Road. Fiber installation. Permit work.

Route 610 (Garrisonville Road)

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Single lane closure on Route 610 between Algrace Boulevard and Ripley Road. Construction for turn lane extension. Permit work.

Berea Church Road CLOSURE

Berea Church Road is closed from Berea Knolls Drive to Theresa Garden Place, and northbound access is closed from Route 17 to Berea Knolls Drive. Construction for a Stafford County project to improve Berea Church Road. View the project page.

Lane and bridge closures are scheduled across various locations in the Fredericksburg district from November 17–23, 2024, for maintenance, inspections, and construction projects. Details are available on 511Virginia. The work includes closures on I-95, Route 1, and local roads, with traffic management measures such as flagging and detours in place.

Press release:

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Press Release:

Fleetwood Drive (Route 611) between Parkgate Drive (Route 653) and Aden Road (Route 646) will be closed to through traffic Monday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Nov. 19; Wednesday, Nov. 20 and Thursday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day for drainage pipe replacement, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Those needing to reach properties along Fleetwood Drive will have access; however, drivers will not be able to go beyond the point of pipe replacement (located on the Fleetwood Drive side of the intersection at Parkgate Drive) in either direction.

Through traffic will be detoured via Parkgate Drive, Brookfield Road (Route 654) and Aden Road back to Fleetwood Drive. Drivers are asked to follow posted detour signs.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has closed the left lane of westbound Balls Ford Road at the bridge over Prince William Parkway, near Gainesville, following damage caused by a truck strike. The closure was announced today, two days after a northbound vehicle on Prince William Parkway struck the bridge’s underside on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

VDOT has confirmed that the lane closure will be in place for an extended period to allow for further inspections and assessments of the bridge’s structural integrity. Officials have stated that an additional inspection will occur in the coming days, after which repair plans will be developed based on the findings.

Travelers using the bridge are advised to expect delays and to exercise caution in the area as crews continue to work on the affected span.

The Balls Ford Road bridge opened to traffic in April 2023 as part of a significant $64 million improvement project to widen a 1.2-mile section of Balls Ford Road between Doane Drive and Ashton Avenue in the Gainesville Magisterial District. This comprehensive upgrade transformed the corridor into a four-lane divided roadway featuring a 16-foot-wide grass median, a 10-foot-wide shared-use path, and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of the road.

#Manassas: The left lane of westbound Balls Ford Road over Prince William Parkway will have an extended closure due to a bridge strike. Expect delays and pls watch for crews working in the area. @pwcgov @PWCPolice pic.twitter.com/O0toYjzLVI

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) November 14, 2024

Press Release:

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is evaluating the performance of ParkZen, a new smart parking mobile app that enables local travelers to view real-time parking availability in six commuter lots in Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford counties at no cost. The ParkZen app helps commuters check for and navigate to unoccupied parking spaces.

During the evaluation period, availability data will be reported for VDOT’s Saratoga Park and Ride lot in Springfield, Stringfellow Road Park and Ride lot in Centreville, and the Horner Road Commuter Lot in Woodbridge, as well as the three Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station parking lots at Backlick Road in Springfield, Brooke Road in Stafford, and Leeland Road in Falmouth. With a combined capacity of more than 5,000 parking spaces, travelers will be able to take advantage of these parking locations to conveniently transfer to buses, carpools, vanpools, or VRE trains.“Commuters have told us that not knowing whether parking is available at commuter lots is a deterrent to using transit, carpools, vanpools, and slugging,” said Amy McElwain, program manager for VDOT’s Office of Strategic Innovations. “We know that taking the guesswork out of parking makes it easier for commuters to get out of their single-occupant vehicles. However, the challenge has always been finding the resources to install and maintain reliable counting technology.”

ParkZen does not require the installation of counting equipment and allows users to instantly determine whether parking is available at a given lot, helping them navigate there with turn-by-turn guidance. Leveraging the power of smart crowdsourcing technology, ParkZen passively collects anonymized data from users only when they visit the selected commuter lots, in order to inform other drivers of lot occupancy levels.“Through this app, commuters can optimize the parking experience for themselves and others, enabling everyone to park quickly and catch buses, trains, and carpool rides,” said McElwain. “The more drivers who use the app during the trial period, the better job we will be able to do to validate this technology before scaling up to more locations.”

This parking technology will be initially available in the six designated lots for the early adopters during the evaluation period from November 2024 to January 2025. The free app is available in the App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. Top users will have a chance to earn a $50 Amazon gift card from ParkZen. If the trial period is successful, VDOT will evaluate rolling out the technology for other commuter lots throughout Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg area starting in Spring 2025.

This project is one of several regional initiatives that aim to improve travel reliability and mobility. By using crowdsourced real-time mobility data, VDOT and its partners strive to optimize performance of the transportation network, prioritize the needs of commuters, and offer them convenient tools to make informed travel choices.