The Virginia Department of Transportation announced on May 28 that Route 644 (Rock Hill Church Road) in Stafford County will now close on Thursday, June 4, to allow crews to replace the single-lane structure over Aquia Creek with a two-lane bridge. The road closure was postponed from Monday, June 1, due to weather conditions. Rock Hill Church Road is expected to remain closed through June 2027 for the duration of the bridge replacement project.
Currently, drivers are using a temporary single-lane bridge installed in fall 2020 after an inspection found deterioration in the major elements of the original 50-year-old bridge. The temporary crossing has allowed traffic—including emergency vehicles and school buses—to continue with a weight limit of up to 40 tons and is managed by a temporary traffic signal alternating one-way travel over Aquia Creek.
The new $6.4 million two-lane bridge will be nearly double the size of the existing structure and feature two eleven-foot travel lanes with six-foot paved shoulders on both sides as well as higher rails. According to VDOT, “the new structure will be able to carry vehicles of all legal loads.” Starting June 1 through June 2027, Rock Hill Church Road will be closed between Dunbar Drive and Van Horn Lane, with detour signs directing drivers along Route 610 (Garrisonville Road), Route 643 (Joshua Road), and Route 627 (Mountain View Road). Message boards are being posted for advance notice about the long-term closure.
Around 1,600 vehicles per day use Rock Hill Church Road based on VDOT’s latest traffic count.
The Virginia Department of Transportation manages one of the nation’s largest state highway systems covering tens of thousands of lane-miles across Virginia; it provides services such as highway maintenance and oversees planning, construction, and maintenance statewide, according to the official website.
