As the Veterans Affairs Clinic enters the final year of construction, there are several transportation improvements north of Exit 126 in Fredericksburg to improve access to this needed facility for area veterans.
This May, the ribbon will be cut on one of those improvements: the Route 17 bridge over Interstate 95 at Mills Drive, just south of the clinic. The $23.5 million project includes a four-lane bridge with pedestrian accommodations. The old bridge was “structurally deficient,” VDOT said.
Hood Drive is being improved just north of the clinic. A modified turn lane and a raised median will separate north and southbound traffic between Courthouse Road and McGowan Drive. This will also provide a second clinic entrance off Hood Drive.
At Patriot Highway (Route 1), VDOT is constructing an interchange with traffic signals and turn lanes right in front of the clinic. Officials said this will improve access to the new clinic, which is expected to open in early 2025.
The clinic is in Spotsylvania County, which provided significant funding for road improvements. All the upgrades were on state roads, so VDOT was involved.
Once The Ribbon Is Cut
The new 470,000-square-foot clinic will be named Fredericksburg Health Care Center and is expected to serve more than 29,000 Veterans annually in various areas, including primary care, mental health care, specialty care, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, and more.
It is on a 48-acre parcel of land located southeast of Fredericksburg city, east of I-95. Harvey-Cleary Builders is constructing the facility, which incorporates a Georgian and neoclassical style of architecture in tune with many structures in Fredericksburg. Inside, there’s a concentration on green spaces and a healing garden.
Currently, depending on what kind of treatment area veterans need, they can go to the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center or choose to go to the VA clinics in Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg clinics are at 10401 Spotsylvania Ave. and 130 Executive Center Parkway.
d David Hodge, a VA Health Care System spokesman, said the current VA clinics in Fredericksburg will likely close when the new facility opens next year.
Construction on this new building began when officials gathered to break ground on November 4, 2021. Participants holding the golden shovels included Capt. Drew Bigby, with the Navy’s National Capital Region, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-Va, 1), Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves (R), Lisa Gregory from Disabled American Veterans, and other VA officials.
