A tractor-trailer crash at Interstate 95’s Exit 140 interchange in Stafford County left northbound traffic crawling Thursday afternoon, and Stafford County Public Schools logged dozens of late afternoon bus runs while the backups built.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said two of the interstate’s three northbound lanes were closed near Courthouse Road after the crash. A single northbound lane stayed open. VDOT’s first alert went out just after 12:15 p.m.
At that point, VDOT said about four miles of congestion had stacked up approaching the scene. The agency also warned of delays on Route 1 northbound and on secondary roads around the interchange.
An update issued at 3:18 p.m. said two northbound lanes had reopened. One northbound lane remained closed at the crash scene. Congestion on I-95 northbound then started about five miles before the interchange, VDOT said.
VDOT Fredericksburg District posted the same update on social media a minute earlier, tagging Stafford County government and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.
VDOT directed drivers to 511 Virginia for lane and traffic updates. Potomac Local News checked the 511 Virginia camera views covering that stretch of I-95. The wreck itself was out of view.
The agency’s release did not say when the crash happened, whether anyone was hurt, or how long the remaining lane would stay closed. VDOT Fredericksburg District spokeswoman Kelly Hannon is the listed contact.
Stafford school buses
Stafford County Public Schools was in session Thursday. The division’s Trending Now page points families to its Bus Delays and Notifications Dashboard, which the Transportation Department updates through the day.
By midafternoon, that dashboard listed dozens of delayed afternoon routes. Many of the entries were elementary runs posted around dismissal, with delay windows of 0-15 minutes, 15-30 minutes, or, on at least one Hampton Oaks Elementary route, 20-40 minutes.
Most listed reasons were “Prior Run,” “Multiple Runs,” or “2nd Run.” At least one route, Crow’s Nest Elementary bus 4112, was coded “Traffic.”
The dashboard does not name the I-95 crash on each line. The delays were posted while VDOT was reporting multi-mile northbound backups at Courthouse Road and extra traffic on Route 1 and nearby secondary roads.
The division tells families to use the MyRide K-12 app for a student’s live bus location and to keep checking the delay dashboard. Morning delay listings are cleared after noon. Afternoon listings stay up until 7 p.m.
What drivers should know
I-95 northbound at Exit 140 (Courthouse Road) still had one lane closed as of VDOT’s 3:18 p.m. update.
Expect leftover congestion for several miles south of the interchange and slower travel on Route 1 northbound and local roads that feed the exit.
Updated lane status is at 511.vdot.virginia.gov.
Potomac Local News will update this story if VDOT clears the remaining lane or if Stafford schools post a new transportation notice.
