Construction work begins in late April

FREDERICKSBURG – Construction will begin in late April on a $5.2 million package of pavement and safety improvements over nearly 20 miles on Route 218 in King George and Stafford counties.

The project qualifies for federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding, which seeks to reduce highway crashes.

Improvements will include a new asphalt surface over 15 miles of Route 218, giving motorists a smoother ride and addressing cracking, rutting and potholes.

New traffic safety features will be added, including:

• New pavement markings and messages
• Raised pavement markers
• Upgraded existing guardrail
• New guardrail installation
• Sign upgrades and replacements
• Tree removal
• Minor shoulder widening and safety pavement edge

Approximately 5,000 vehicles a day travel the busiest segment of Route 218 in the project area. Route 218 is known as White Oak Road in Stafford, and Caledon Road and Windsor Drive in King George.

The project’s limits start at Ferry Road in Stafford and ends at Machodoc Creek in King George, east of Route 301.

What Motorists Can Expect

Traffic on Route 218 will reduced to one lane Mondays through Fridays between dawn and dusk.

West of Route 301, no lane closures are permitted between 6-9 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m. to avoid causing congestion at peak commuting times. No restrictions are in place on Route 218 east of Route 301.

The work zone’s precise location will change as work progresses along Route 218. Construction will be completed by December 2015.

The project contractor is Superior Paving of Gainesville, Va.

Specific lane closure information and locations will be communicated weekly through VDOT’s lane closure forecast, Hot Spots, which is issued each Friday afternoon for the upcoming week.

Hot Spots for VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District can be viewed online at www.VirginiaDOT.org: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/travel_alerts/default.asp

Or, to receive Hot Spots directly by email, please send a message to fredericksburginfo@VDOT.Virginia.Gov with “Hot Spots” in the subject line.

Real-time traffic, lane closure and work zone information is also available on www.511Virginia.org.

Motorists can also access 511Virginia by calling 511 from any telephone in Virginia, or downloading VDOT’s 511Virginia free mobile app.