VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – On Wednesday, April 1, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will close a portion of Route 617 (Exol Road) in King and Queen County to replace the bridge over Exol Swamp.

The project will replace the original timber structure with a new, two-span concrete slab structure with concrete piles and abutments. The new bridge will be 75 feet long and 24 feet wide.

The original structure was built in 1965 and is structurally deficient. 

In August 2017, VDOT installed a temporary structure, known as a Bailey Bridge, over Exol Swamp. This temporary structure supports structurally deficient bridges. The Bailey Bridge allowed the road to remain open to traffic until the bridge replacement project started. The temporary bridge must now be closed to traffic and removed to allow construction to begin on the permanent bridge replacement. 

The $2.5 million project, funded by the State of Good Repair program, is expected to be complete in late November 2020.

An average of 60 vehicles a day cross the bridge, according to VDOT traffic counts. 

Detour Route

During construction, a detour will be in place. Motorists will be detoured approximately 8 miles around the bridge closure. 

The posted detour begins at the intersection of Route 616 and Route 617. Signs will direct drivers to use Route 616 to Route 612, and then back to Route 617.

This detour will remain in place until construction of the new bridge is complete and the road is reopened to traffic in late November 2020. 

Bailey Bridge

The Bailey Bridge will be dismantled and stored at VDOT Port Royal Area Headquarters in Caroline County. The temporary structure will be used at other locations throughout the 14-county Fredericksburg District to provide support to other structures that are slated to be repaired or replaced.

The original bridge over Exol Swamp will be demolished prior to construction of the new bridge. 

For more information about this project, visit the project page at www.VirginiaDOT.org.

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.