STAFFORD — The Abel Lake Boat Ramp reopened on Thursday, May 30 after safety and road improvements were made to the property.
The ramp was reopened following the death of Helen Wang, a Colonial Forge High School student who was hit and killed after a picnic with her friends on her 17th birthday on May 16. She was in her car leaving the Abel Lake Boat Ramp, where she met her friends for an afternoon at the reservoir.
STAFFORD COUNTY — A sharp curve on Popular Hill Road, near where a 16-year-old high school student was involved in a crash and later died, is being straightened.
Mountain View High School Student Kyle Morgan, 16, was killed in March 2018 when the Hyundai Accent he was riding in collided head-on with a large SUV. He suffered head trauma and injuries to his lower body.
FREDERICKSBURG — Interstate 95 southbound and Route 17 travelers can expect delays near Exit 133 in Stafford County on the evenings of June 3 to 6 and June 10 to 16. During these times, crews will be lifting concrete beams into place for new I-95 overpasses.
In order to safely move the beams into place over travel lanes, there will be overnight lane closures and brief traffic stops on Route 17 and several I-95 ramps.
ARLINGTON — The slip-ramp connecting HOV lanes to regular lanes on I-395 South near the Pentagon will close permanently around June 1, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Drivers wanting to access the southbound regular lanes from the southbound HOV lanes on this stretch of I-395 will need to use the slip-ramp located north of the Pentagon, near Boundary Channel Drive after crossing the 14th Street Bridge from D.C. into Virginia.
LAKE RIDGE — What’s being billed as a “parks and roads” bond are two very different animals. And Prince William County leaders are expected to treat them that way.
There are $200 million in new parks projects that are being reviewed that could be built in Prince William. And, there’s $512.5 million in proposed transportation projects. The majority of them would be funded by a $400 million roads bond, while the rest of the funds would need to be cobbled together from state and federal sources.
ALEXANDRIA — As six Metrorail stations south of National Airport are now shut down this summer, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will be a convenient alternative for many commuters.
VRE offers service at two stations, Franconia-Springfield and Alexandria, that are a short walk from the closed Franconia-Springfield and King St-Old Town Metrorail stations. VRE trains run northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening with stops at Crystal City in Virginia, and L’Enfant and Union Station in Washington, D.C.
While the Virginia Department of Transportation suspended most road closures until noon Tuesday, May 28 to ease travel for Memorial Day weekend, road crews will be back on the job Tuesday night.
Here’s what to watch for.
WOODBRIDGE – OmniRide is introducing new ways for travelers to connect with Virginia Railway Express, implementing a service change for all routes, and launching a rebuilt website this month.
OmniRide will begin operating two free temporary shuttle services on Tuesday, May 28, to help commuters impacted by Metro’s decision to close six Blue and Yellow Line Metro stations in Northern Virginia for the summer.
STAFFORD COUNTY — A new bus service will take riders from Stafford County to New York City.
Starting with a three-day run May 25 -27 then continuing full time, four-days-a-week on June 15, the Fredericksburg region will get its very own stop on a bus run to New York City, with the following additional stops:
STAFFORD — Students called Stafford’s antiquated two-lane roads dangerous as they remembered their friend, a 17-year-old girl who died behind the wheel of her car on her birthday.
Helen Wang, Colonial Forge High School student, was hit and killed after a picnic with her friends on her 17th birthday on May 16. She was leaving the Abel Lake Boat Ramp, where she met her friends for an afternoon at the reservoir.
