VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The public is invited to join the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for a virtual, online “Pardon Our Dust” meeting to learn more about upcoming construction to improve the Route 3 Business bridge over the Rappahannock River, also known as Chatham Bridge.

The meeting will be held from 7-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 21. Participants can participate by visiting VDOT’s YouTube Live channel on the meeting date and time. No pre-registration is required.

Participants can watch a brief presentation from VDOT staff on the project, followed by a live chat question and answer session. The session will be made available for viewing on VDOT’s YouTube channel after the live session has ended.

Chatham Bridge is anticipated to close to traffic in June 2020. Traffic will be detoured for an estimated 16 to 18 months, with a bridge reopening planned for fall 2021.

Two weeks before the bridge is closed, the closure date will be announced on message boards positioned on roads leading to the bridge. The closure date will also be shared by traffic alert, on the project website at virginiadot.org/chathambridge, and through VDOT’s Fredericksburg District social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Nextdoor.

Construction activity is anticipated to begin near the Chatham Bridge after Memorial Day weekend, although the bridge will initially remain open to traffic. Crews will install a causeway extending into the Rappahannock River underneath the bridge for construction equipment access.

The Rappahannock River will remain open to recreational traffic throughout the project. River warning signs and buoys will be posted to guide boaters through the work zone on the river.

About the Project

The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $17.8 million contract in April 2020 to begin construction on a project to rehabilitate Chatham Bridge.

The project contract was awarded to Joseph B. Fay Co., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

When the improved bridge opens in fall 2021, it will provide pedestrians and bicyclists with a separate shared-use path, which will connect with existing sidewalks in downtown Fredericksburg and Stafford County’s Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail.

A scenic overlook will provide a refuge for pedestrians to stop at the bridge midpoint. New light posts will be installed, and new bridge railings will keep the distinctive open view of the Rappahannock River.

(END)

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.