Compiled by Dewey Turner, ADVANCE HELPMEET
NEWS DROPS
VCU Health is opening a new location in Fredericksburg to increase access and expand services for patients in the area. The location, VCU Health at Lee’s Hill Medical Plaza, will open on Sept. 3.
VCU Health at The Park at Snowden, which currently offers specialty heart care, colon and rectal care, liver, transplant, and urology services in Fredericksburg, will close on Aug. 27 and relocate its services to the larger space at Lee’s Hill Medical Plaza, 10401 Spotsylvania Ave.
“The opening of this 10,000 square-foot space… will help VCU continue to grow our footprint in an important area,” the health organization said in a prepared statement. “Patients can expect personalized, expert care from VCU Health as we extend the high-quality services that our health system is known for.”
VCU Health is nearly four times the size of Mary Washington Healthcare, with almost $4 billion in total operating revenue and more than 10,000 employees.
VCU Health already provides pediatric care in the Fredericksburg area through Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU’s Fredericksburg Multispecialty Center and Fredericksburg Therapy Center locations.
It’s Going to Take VDOT Most of a Year to Get Rid of Those Stupid Bump-Outs on Rt. 3
And Do A Few Other Things to Improve ‘Traffic Flow and Capacity’
The Virginia Department of Transportation says it “begin to mobilize” on Tuesday, Sept. 1, for a project to improve “traffic flow and capacity” along Route 3 between Mall Drive and Chamber Drive.
The project will eliminate the right turn lane bump-out areas along Route 3 westbound between Route 639 (Bragg Road) and Chamber Drive. This will allow the lane to be used by through traffic and by traffic turning right.
On Route 3 eastbound, a concrete island at the right turn lane to Mall Drive will be modified, and the right lane will become a shared through-travel and right-turn lane. Dual right-turn lanes from northbound Mall Drive to Route 3 eastbound will be built, controlled by a dedicated traffic signal.
The project will also include traffic signal enhancements, installation of a new water main, and storm sewer improvements.
During construction, travelers will encounter intermittent overnight single lane closures on Route 3 westbound between 10 p.m. and noon, Sunday through Thursday, and Route 3 eastbound between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.
Construction will begin late September at the intersection of Route 3 and Chamber Drive. Once this phase is completed, work will move to the intersection of Route 3 and Heatherstone Drive in January 2027. Work will begin in February 2027 at the intersection of Route 3 and Bragg Road. Additionally, construction at the intersection of Mall Drive and Route 3 will begin in spring 2027.
Construction is expected to be complete by July 2027, weather permitting. An average of 63,373 vehicles a day use Route 3.
The $5.7 million project is being funded through the Revenue Sharing Program, where state funds are matched dollar for dollar by localities. VDOT and Spotsylvania County are sharing the cost of this project. The project contractor is Ardent Company, LLC.
