VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Travelers on Route 17 in Gloucester County can expect brief delays near the Route 636 (Brays Point Road) intersection on the evenings of Sunday, Feb. 9 and Monday, Feb. 10 to let crews install traffic signal equipment.

Motorists can expect mobile single lane closures at the intersection of Route 17 and Brays Point Road between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Sunday and Monday evenings.

Crews will install a new traffic signal pole along Route 17 southbound at the intersection. The previous pole was removed for motorist safety in December 2019 after it was struck and damaged by an armored vehicle.

Temporary traffic patterns in place at the intersection will be removed once the pole is re-installed, and the traffic signal is re-activated. This will restore the ability of Brays Point Road traffic to turn left onto Route 17 southbound. Route 17 motorists are reminded that the traffic signal re-activation means that northbound and southbound traffic will again be controlled by a traffic signal at this intersection, and should be prepared to stop.

An average of 27,216 vehicles travel through the Route 17 and Brays Point Road intersection each day.

New Flashing Yellow Arrow Equipment

As part of this work zone, crews will also install new flashing yellow arrow equipment at this intersection for Route 17 northbound and southbound traffic. The equipment is intended to help drivers turn left safely against oncoming traffic.

When installation work is complete, the traffic signal for Route 17 northbound and southbound will display four arrows.

Traffic will first have a green arrow to make protected left turns. When the green arrow disappears, a steady yellow arrow will appear above it, followed by a red arrow to tell drivers to stop. Then, a flashing yellow arrow will appear, communicating that drivers have permission to turn left, but must first yield to oncoming traffic.

Flashing Yellow Arrow Background

Deciding whether to turn left against oncoming traffic is among the most challenging and high-risk decisions for drivers, according to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). Motorists must assess the speed and distance of the approaching traffic as they make the decision to turn left.

The research program initiated a study that assessed how drivers interpret symbols and signs for left turns, and found that a flashing yellow arrow was safer, better understood and obeyed more frequently.

VDOT has created a video demonstrating how to drive through a signal with a flashing yellow signal, available for viewing online at VDOT’s YouTube channel,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAeI2UMo6jI

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.