FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – On Monday, Jan. 23, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will close a portion of Route 612 (Bestland Road) in Essex County for approximately five months to replace a bridge over Dragon Run.

The project will replace the current structurally deficient, steel beam timber deck bridge with a new 48-foot concrete slab structure on concrete abutments and concrete piles. The existing structure, built in 1958, is approximately 37 feet long.

During construction, drivers will be detoured approximately eight miles using the following routes:

• Route 612 (Bestland Road)
• Route 684 (Howerton Road)
• Route 607 (Cheaney’s Bridge Road)

Click here to view an online map.

Construction activity will be underway from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Weather permitting, the bridge replacement project is expected to be complete and the road reopened to traffic in late June 2023.

According to a recent VDOT traffic count, approximately 369 vehicles use this portion of Bestland Road daily.

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.