The Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Apr. 28 that work has started to widen road shoulders on several secondary routes in Stafford County, with the goal of improving safety and reducing crash risks.
This project aims to provide more recovery space for drivers whose vehicles may stray from travel lanes, potentially lowering the chance of crashes and injuries. Mobile lane closures and one-way, alternating traffic will be in place weekdays between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on affected roads.
According to the announcement, shoulder widening is underway along Route 606 (Ferry Road) between Mt. Vernon Avenue and Route 218 (White Oak Road), Route 626 (Potomac Run Road) between Leeland Road and Eskimo Hill Road, Route 643 (Joshua Road) between Leeland Road and Primmer House Road, as well as Route 1970 (Morton Road) between Leeland Road and Primmer House Road. Additionally, travelers can expect similar work on Route 643 (Joshua Road) between Route 627 (Mountain View Road) and Route 610 (Garrisonville Road).
The project involves expanding existing road shoulders to install two-foot paved shoulders, adding shoulder rumble strips, six-inch edge line pavement markings, and relocating signs where necessary. The effort is a partnership between VDOT and Stafford County.
Virginia Department of Transportation centers its purpose on building, maintaining, and operating Virginia’s roads, bridges, and tunnels to support a safe transportation system according to the official website. The agency manages one of the nation’s largest state highway systems covering tens of thousands of lane-miles across Virginia according to the official website. VDOT also provides services such as highway maintenance, traffic management through systems like Virginia 511, and oversight of land-use permits along state routes according to the official website.
VDOT serves as a state agency overseeing planning, construction, and maintenance for Virginia’s transportation infrastructure according to the official website, with headquarters at 1221 East Broad Street in Richmond according to the official website. The department traces its origins back to the State Highway Commission formed in 1906 according to the official website.
All work is expected to be completed by early August if weather permits.
