Boaters on the Rappahannock River will have to steer clear of the Chatham Bridge in Fredericksburg next week.
More in a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation:
Rappahannock River traffic will not be permitted to travel underneath the Chatham Bridge during two days next week to allow crews to remove bridge beams as part of a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) project.
River traffic will be prohibited from passing underneath the bridge from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20, weather permitting. Chatham Bridge is located on Route 3 Business between the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County.
Warning signs and buoys will be in place to guide river traffic. Additionally, a crew member will be posted in a boat upstream to alert and stop river users approaching the work zone during the closures.
River traffic is encouraged to exit the water before the Chatham Bridge area. Paddlers will not be able to anchor in any way near the work zone during the river closures.
Chatham Bridge closed to traffic on June 22, 2020, and is scheduled to reopen in October 2021. The $23.4 million rehabilitation project underway by VDOT and project contractor Joseph B. Fay Co. is needed to improve the bridge’s condition and remove the existing 15-ton vehicle weight limit. The project will also enhance pedestrian access.
