VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Route 1 travelers should be alert for a mobile, daytime work zone in Spotsylvania County near the Caroline County line starting Monday, March 2 through Friday, March 20. 

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews will be cleaning roadside shoulders and ditches to improve drainage along Route 1 in Spotsylvania. VDOT crews will start work near the Caroline County line and move north. 

Work will be underway between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. The work zone will be approximately 2 miles long, with a right lane closure on either Route 1 northbound or southbound. 

Crews will use a piece of equipment known as an Athey Loader to remove debris, leaves and other material from the roadside. The operation will keep ditches open so water can drain away from the travel lanes during heavy rain. 

The Athey Loader process requires coordination between several pieces of large construction equipment, including the loader, two motorgraders and a dump truck. This coordination allows the work zone to stay mobile. Staying on the move helps to accomplish the work faster, which reduces delays for travelers. 

Click here to watch a VDOT video that explains the sequence of equipment used to keep the work zone mobile, which shortens the amount of time a lane closure is needed. 

Drivers on Route 1 should be alert for crews and construction equipment carrying out this work. 

Weather permitting, crews will work on the following dates: 

• Monday, March 2 – Friday, March 6
• Monday, March 9 – Friday, March 13
• Monday, March 16 – Friday, March 20 

VDOT will clean approximately 12 miles of roadside shoulders and ditches on both sides of Route 1. 

According to a recent traffic count, approximately 11,000 vehicles a day travel on Route 1 near the Caroline and Spotsylvania county line. 

511Virginia

Motorists can find real-time information on lane closures, work zones, traffic and other incidents on 511Virginia.

Download the  free mobile 511Virginia app for Apple and Android devices to stay connected, or visit www.511Virginia.org. Motorists also can reach 511Virginia by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia.

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.