On the Road

By Kelly Hannon

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Weekend Travel

Nov. 6, 2009 12:51 pm

As usual, there is no road work planned on Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area for most of the weekend.

Unfortunately, that does not mean there will not be traffic. I was caught in a 90-minute jam on U.S. 1 north last Sunday afternoon in Stafford, after a crash on I-95 and U.S. 1 in North Stafford combined forces for a bumper-to-bumper trip starting before the Rappahannock Regional Jail. (Is it just me, or is the Courthouse Road traffic signal in Stafford quickly becoming the new Falmouth intersection on Sundays?) The weekends always prove just how fragile our road network is -- minor disruptions on the main line domino everywhere else.

If I'd taken my own advice and checked 511virginia.org before leaving my house, I might've had a chance of avoiding the mess using local roads. So, listen to the radio, check 511, and bring a map of county roads. It's a good investment. Just keep in mind the speed limit in residential areas is 25 mph.

Other road-related news:  

*Work on the Gov. Harry W. Nice Bridge on U.S. 301 has finished early, so the single-lane closure will not take place next week as planned.

*If you are coming home late on Sunday night using Interstate 495 south, or Monday through Thursday nights next week, you should avoid a major road project.

Interstate 495 south will SHUT DOWN at 11 p.m. Sunday at the intersection with Interstate 66. Delays on the Capitol Beltway will start a little before the closure at 9:30 p.m. when crews will shut down one lane, then gradually shut down the rest. Workers need to close the interstate to lift steel beams over the travel lanes. The steel beams are for a new bridge. The I-495 south lanes at I-66 will re-open at 5 a.m.

This closure will repeat each night through Thursday, always 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Drivers will have access to I-66 west from the Beltway -- you just can't continue south on the Beltway past the I-66 exit. To detour, take I-66 west to Exit 62/Nutley Street. From there, drivers will be able to use I-66 east to return to I-495 and continue the trip. Drivers should allow an extra 15-20 minutes to take the detour.

*Heading into Washington this weekend? Metro's planning some delays on the Blue and Orange and Yellow lines that will affect people who park and board the train at Franconia-Springfield. Delays could add up to 30 minutes to your trip from Franconia-Springfield, and Metro's encouraging riders to park and ride at the Huntington station in Alexandria instead.

*Finally, the public can get a FREE ride to Tysons Corner next week from the Woodbridge area. Starting Monday morning, a new commuter bus route is starting from the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express station and a Woodbridge commuter lot to 16 stops inthe Tysons area. As a promotion, there will be no charge to ride the first week. Check out details here, or read my story on the service. The bus offers free wireless Internet.

*Yet another plug for FRED Express Late-Night. Do you live in Fredericksburg, downtown or along the Cowan Boulevard corridor, and plan a night out? Consider riding this low-cost bus, open to the public, on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. It is 50 cents per boarding. It's underwritten by the University of Mary Washington and used by many students, but it is also a safe way to get around for all community members. Consider checking it out. If you want to head out sooner, look at the FRED routes that run earlier in the evening.

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Kelly Hannon is the transportation reporter for The Free Lance-Star.

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Kelly Hannon writes about traffic and transportation in the Fredericksburg area.