The Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC), a panel advising the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), voted 9-4 in favor of a new option, informally dubbed “CTAC Option C.” The route would use Celebrate Virginia Parkway in Stafford County and cross the river where one of the previously studied alternatives—Option D—was proposed.
During a presentation at the April 21 FAMPO Policy Committee meeting, CTAC member Al Watkins said the new route was the result of “many, many, many hours” of analysis by committee members. The preferred alternative aims to reduce environmental impacts, minimize new road construction, and improve regional traffic flow between Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg.
“Studies of potential transportation projects intent on reducing congestion in our region have come and gone,” Watkins said. “This new option uses existing infrastructure, avoids wetlands, and creates greater opportunity for long-term connectivity.”
CTAC Option C would utilize the underused Celebrate Virginia Parkway, originally designed to handle 66,000 vehicles a day but currently sees just 7,000. The proposed route follows the ridgeline through Cannon Ridge, avoiding steep terrain and archaeological markers, and includes a 1,450-foot bridge—the shortest span among options studied so far.
The route also skirts the southern boundary of Fredericksburg’s planned Technology Overlay District (TOD), which will be home to the city’s first data center campus, addressing concerns raised by city officials about previous options that would have passed through the district’s center.
The CTAC also floated an optional extension that would cross the river a second time into Spotsylvania County, connecting to Route 3 to alleviate regional congestion further. That portion would require an amendment to the current study, as well as additional environmental and cost analyses.
While the presentation was well-received, including praise for its clarity and attention to detail, some committee members and staff raised concerns about signalization challenges at Fall Hill Avenue and the need to understand potential environmental impacts on the city side of the river.
According to FAMPO Administrator Ian Ollis, the Policy Committee will vote on June 16 on how to proceed with the proposed river crossing. Some localities are expected to hold their work sessions in the weeks ahead to review CTAC’s preferred option and the five other routes previously considered.
One of the parcels in the proposed corridor—between the harbor and I-95 on the Stafford side—is privately owned and not subject to existing conservation easements, which could offer more flexibility in design and implementation.
Potomac Local News will continue to cover this developing story, including updates from local work sessions and the upcoming regional vote.
