I-95 NORTHBOUND: VDOT says local and through travel lanes are now open on Interstate 95 northbound between the Route 3 interchange in Fredericksburg (exit 130) and the Route 17 interchange (exit 133) in Stafford. Six northbound travel lanes are crossing the Rappahannock River. One bridge carries northbound through traffic, and the other bridge carries northbound local lanes.
What to know:
If you enter I-95 northbound from Route 3, you will drive directly into the local travel lanes. There is no option to merge into the northbound through lanes from the Route 3 on-ramp. All local lanes remain separated from the through lanes until north of the Rappahannock River. North of the river, local drivers can choose to either exit to Route 17 in Stafford, or continue north. The local and through lanes merge back together north of exit 133 at Route 17.
If you are approaching the Fredericksburg area from points south of the Route 3 interchange, your drive will not change. You will continue to use the previous I-95 northbound travel lanes, which have now become the through lanes.
If you are approaching the Fredericksburg area from points south of Route 3, but want to exit to Route 17 (exit 133) in Stafford, stay right as you approach the Route 3 interchange area. The decision point to exit to Route 17 is now before the Rappahannock River, just north of the Fall Hill Avenue overpass in Fredericksburg. Follow the overhead signs and message boards. Through traffic exiting to Route 17 merges into the local lanes, where travelers can access the off-ramp north of the Rappahannock River. Didn’t mean to get in the local lanes? Keep driving north past exit 133, and the local lanes merge back together with the northbound through lanes.
If you want to enter the northbound 95 Express Lanes from the through lanes, this access continues to be available using a left slip ramp entrance north of the Rappahannock River, near exit 133.
If you want to enter the northbound 95 Express Lanes and you enter I-95 northbound from Route 3 in Fredericksburg, or Route 17 in Stafford (using the local lanes), the first entrance to access the lanes will be north of exit 140 (Courthouse Road) interchange in Stafford. By mid-December, a new flyover ramp is anticipated to open north of exit 133 connecting the local lanes with northbound 95 Express Lanes.
If you enter I-95 northbound from Route 17 southbound in Stafford, use caution as the loop ramp will now merge in with local lanes traffic driving north from the Route 3 interchange.
