Traffic

The new traffic pattern on Route 17 Business in Stafford County at Route 1034 (Short Street) and Route 1580 (Olde Forge Drive) has been adjusted to improve safety at the two intersections.

U-turns on Route 17 Business at Olde Forge Drive and Short Street will be prohibited.

On Thursday, March 11, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will shift all traffic on Route 17 southbound at the bridge over Dragon Run to the left travel lane so that construction can continue to improve the bridge.

After Route 17 southbound traffic is shifted to the left travel lane, the right travel lane will become a permanent 24-hour single lane closure until the project is complete in Aug. 2021.

Travelers on Interstate 95 northbound should anticipate delays with double lane closures scheduled overnight in Stafford County as construction progresses on the I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project.

All three travel lanes on I-95 northbound between exit 133 (Route 17) and exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) will be shifted slightly to the left, toward the median, to provide more space along the right shoulder for crews to work behind concrete barriers.

Drivers should be on the lookout this week for multiple construction projects in Stafford County and Fredericksburg.

The work will take place as long as the weather holds out, the Virginia Department of Transportation says.