Starting tomorrow, Thursday, January 5, 2023, travelers can again drive along Route 628 (American Legion Road) in Stafford County and cross over Interstate 95, as a new bridge will open as part of the push to add E-ZPass toll lanes to Interstate 95, between North Stafford and Fredericksburg.
Construction barriers at the bridge are anticipated to be removed by 3 a.m. Thursday, ahead of the morning travel rush.
Traffic on American Legion Road was detoured for nine months during construction, which started on April 4, 2022.
Crews demolished the previous interstate bridge, which had been built in 1964. A slightly wider two-lane overpass with shoulders was built in its place.
A new American Legion Road overpass was required to accommodate construction underneath two reversible express lanes in the I-95 median. The 95 Express Lanes are currently being extended by 10 miles in Stafford from south of exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville) to the vicinity of exit 133 (Falmouth/Warrenton).
The extended express lanes are anticipated to open to traffic in late 2023.
About 2,900 vehicles a day cross the American Legion Road overpass, according to a 2019 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) traffic count.
American Legion Road intersects with Route 1 east of the overpass and with Ramoth Church Road and Centreport Parkway west of the bridge. Reopening the overpass restores a convenient connection for travelers driving east and west in central Stafford.
Construction on the $640.2 million public-private project to extend 95 Express Lanes began in June 2019. In addition to the 10 miles of express lanes, the project is building seven new bridges and flyover ramps, and adding multiple new access points.
