Construction is finished to restore the condition of two bridges on primary roads in the Fredericksburg area that span CSX railroad.
The nearly $2 million project rehabilitated bridges on Route 3 Business (Kings Highway) in Stafford County and Route 17 (Mills Drive) in Spotsylvania County. Construction was closely coordinated with rail officials to ensure work could be safely carried out beneath the bridge decks.
Crews focused on repairing bridge beam ends, which extends the life of a structure, and ensures it remains unposted to carry all vehicle traffic.
In September 2021, repairs had progressed to a degree that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) was able to remove a vehicle weight limit posting on the Route 17 bridge, which is located between the intersections with Massaponax Church Road and Benchmark Road. A detour had been in place since 2018 for heavier vehicles, including some emergency response vehicles, after the bridge was posted with a limit of 24 tons for single-unit vehicles and 34 tons for multiple-unit vehicles.
With the project now finished, the structurally deficient status has been lifted from both bridges. The structurally deficient classification does not mean a bridge is unsafe for travel, but it is an indicator that a bridge needs maintenance or repair work to improve its condition. Without this project, the Route 3 Business bridge in Stafford would have been at risk of a future vehicle weight posting.
A single lane closure that had been in place on weekdays along Route 3 Business westbound in Stafford for this project, between the Cool Springs Road and Chatham Heights Road intersections, will no longer be needed.
Construction on the project began in Nov. 2020, and is finishing around eight months ahead of the Oct. 2022 completion date.
