There’s been a sharp decrease in the number of drivers on the roads as a result of the coronavirus pandemic keeping everyone home.
A major contributor to this traffic pattern has been the number of people who are now working from home to avoid the spread of the virus. While there are many in the workforce who have been deemed essential and still commute, many more are sitting at home, in front of their laptops, attending virtual meetings through Zoom, and other online communication platforms.
An 87-year-old man died in a driveway when his 2006 Mercedes car rolled and pinned him.
A 20-year-old man has died after he was struck while sitting in a car on Interstate 66 in Gainesville.
Prince William police were called to the scene at 4:10 p.m. on Friday, April 24. A 2016 Toyota Corolla was disabled on the exit ramp from eastbound I-66 to southbound Lee Highway (Route 29).
The coronavirus hasn’t stopped the construction of two new bridges across the Rappahannock River.
Soon, drivers on Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg will have new travel options, and with any luck, a smoother commute once officials lift the lockdown spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.
A new bridge will soon link Fredericksburg to Stafford County.
Virginia Transportation officials awarded a construction contract to a Pennsylvania firm that will reconstruct the Chatham Bridge, which carries vehicles on Route 3 over the Rappahannock River. The bridge provides direct entry to Downtown Fredericksburg, as well as links the city to nearby Chatham Manor, a historic estate, and Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington.
OmniRide will further reduce its Express commuter bus services as of Monday, April 27, due to low ridership during the coronavirus pandemic. While Express ridership has dropped by 90 percent, OmniRide will continue to operate a few core commuter routes that are serving essential personnel.
The move comes after the transit agency suspended bus fares back on March 18.
Here’s a look at construction hotspots in the Fredericksburg region, from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
I-95 Southbound
Former Stafford County Hartwood District Supervisor Joe Brito has proposed building a new road that would connect five separate roadways west of Interstate 95 with a new four-lane highway.
The conceptual highway would run north to south and would include connecting Mine Road and Route 610 (Garrisonville Road) to Centreport Parkway. Also, part of the idea contains a reconstructed Berea Church Road, which would join to Celebrate Virginia Parkway and would cross the Rappahannock River and connect to Carl D. Silver Parkway in Fredericksburg, and would end at Harrison Road in Spotsylvania County.
Road crews will be out working on Route 1 in Stafford County for the next three weeks.
Drivers will see mobile, daytime lane closures between Truslow, and American Legion/Eskimo Hill roads as crews will work to clean roadside shoulders and ditches to improve drainage. They’ll also be laying down a fresh layer of stone along the shoulder of the road, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.
Work continues on the Interstate 66 E-ZPass Express Lanes Project.
Several traffic pattern changes are set to be implemented at the intersection of Route 28 and Braddock Road near I-66. On Monday, April 13, the left-turn lanes from Route 28 North to Braddock Road and the ramp from I-66 West to Braddock Road will close to traffic.
