Rep. Eugene Vindman has been moving through his 7th District recently celebrating federal grants, and he made two stops in the Fredericksburg area Tuesday to discuss movement — on the roads.
The Democrat was in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, ceremonially presenting money for transportation projects in the localities that he was able to get in the appropriations bill President Donald Trump recently signed into law.
Outside of the Spotsylvania government complex Tuesday afternoon, Supervisor Deborah Frazier said grants for her county were the result of a collective effort to take care of residents.
“Having them to spend hours of time in traffic is not what we want our residents to have to do,” said Frazier, who represents the Salem District. “So anytime we can relieve the traffic and make things flow, that’s what we want to accomplish. And so with these opportunities, we are so appreciative because we know that it can go somewhere else, but it’s here in the 7th District and in Spotsylvania County.”
Spotsylvania received grants for two projects through the House of Representatives’ community project funding process. The larger allocation of the pair is $850,000 for improvements to the intersection of Harrison and Salem Church roads.
The total cost estimate for this work is $11.4 million, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation: $10.3 million for the intersection improvement and $1 million for a trail connector. It is to be advertised for construction in 2028 and completed in 2030.
“This is very important to alleviating regional congestion,” Paul Agnello, director of transportation for the county, said at the event.
The project will benefit about 44,000 travelers per day going through the intersection, Agnello said, and if you include State Route 3, that figure balloons to about 126,000 travelers per day.
The work will widen Harrison Road to four lanes in the vicinity of Salem Church Road, he said, and provide a Virginia Central Railway trail connection that will link the path in Harrison Park with the VCR trail in Fredericksburg.
The second project is the Interstate 95, Exit 126 interchange, which Agnello said is important for easing traffic in the area as well as helping the new Veterans Affairs health care clinic.
“I’ll say that the area served by basically this project will benefit approximately 130,000 travelers per day on U.S. Route 1 and I-95 southbound,” he said.
Vindman secured $250,000 for this effort. The total cost for the work is estimated to be $42 million, and construction is already underway. It is scheduled to be finished in September 2027.
Greg Henion, VDOT’s Fredericksburg District engineer, noted that Exit 126 is a major community gateway.
“People rely on these roads to get to work, for school, for shopping, for medical appointments, and we’re working with urgency to make that experience better,” he said. “When construction is finished, we will have doubled the capacity to enter the I-95 northbound and southbound on-ramps and by adding dual left lanes, more people will be able to merge onto 95 during the traffic signal cycles.
“We’re also improving the ramps to handle this extra volume and on northbound 95, travelers will have an additional acceleration lane to safely get up to interstate traveling speeds.”
As a resident of the I-95 corridor, Vindman said planning for the future of the area is “critically important.
“The investments we make now today will pay huge dividends in coming years. Both these efforts will significantly improve safety and decrease congestion at busy intersections, and I’m grateful for the cooperation and diligence it took to move these projects forward.”
The congressman said the funding effort is about much more than investing in concrete and asphalt.
“As lawmakers, and as Virginians, our responsibility is to listen to the needs of our community and to respond,” he said.
A grant for southern Stafford
Rep. Eugene Vindman, center, presents a check for a federal grant to Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chair Deuntay Diggs, left, and Vice Chair Maya Guy.
Earlier in the day, Vindman visited the Stafford Government Center to celebrate another federal grant. That one is for $250,000 for VDOT to improve Leeland Road in the county by constructing a two-way left turn lane, a crosswalk, sidewalks and bike lanes to improve safety.
The total cost estimate for this work is $20.7 million, and the federal money will help to offset an increase in its price tag, according to VDOT. Virginia’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, also worked to secure this funding.
Two projects will be built through a single construction contract in this instance. They’re expected to be finished in 2031.
“These enhancements will significantly improve the safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly those traveling to Conway Elementary School, the future site of Drew Middle School and Leeland Road [Virginia Railway Express] commuter-rail station,” Vindman said.
The lawmaker said it was a privilege to work with local leaders to invest in Stafford’s long-term strength and sustainability. The county is one of the fastest-growing places in Northern Virginia, he said.
“And I don’t know how many of you would like to be included in that designation of Northern Virginia, but I think you’re rapidly approaching that, certainly with congestion and population density,” Vindman told the audience.
