The meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the University of Mary Washington-Stafford Campus, just off U.S. 17 at Stafford Lakes Parkway. The campus address is 121 University Boulevard.

There will be a presentation at 6 p.m. Otherwise, VDOT officials will be available to answer questions.

Officials will provide information on the “planned improvements, construction schedule, and daily traffic impacts during construction,” according to VDOT.

The $49.8-million project will widen a two-mile stretch of the congested highway, from McLane Drive to just north of Stafford Lakes Parkway, from four to six lanes. Eight signals also will be upgraded.

Work is set to start in June and is expected to be finished by December 2016.

The crash happened shortly before 6 a.m. between the Stafford Courthouse and Garrisonville/Aquia exits. Only the right lane and shoulder were open after the crash.

While all the lanes are open, the commute is looking rough this morning because of the crash. The Virginia Department of Transportation 511 site is showing speeds of 40 percent or lower than the posted 65 mph speed limit.

On Friday, the VRE Operations Board approved the selection of Dulles-based Hammerhead Construction to build the station. Hammerhead’s bid of $2.349 million was the second lowest of five finalists. The low bidder withdrew its offer because of an error on the bid sheet, according to VRE.

“We’re gonna have a heck of a party when it opens,” said a giddy Gary Skinner, Spotsylvania’s representative on the VRE board. He admitted that there were struggles along the way, but said that everyone worked together and got it done.

The Spotsylvania station will be built at the Crossroads Business Park off the U.S. 17 Bypass. A new third track will run from there and end just short of the Fredericksburg train station. The Spotsylvania station is expected to be opened by December.

Check later online and in Saturday’s Free Lance-Star for the full story.

There are numerous Fredericksburg-area projects in the plan, which provides $15.4 billion in funding from 2014-2019. One study funded in the plan will look at adding a fourth lane and widening the shoulders on Interstate 95 between the Garrisonville Road and Centreport Parkway exits. No details were included.

The proposed six-year plan includes funding for two area bridge rehabilitation projects, $184 million for the Route 630 interchange project in Stafford and $55 million for engineering work on new feeder roads and bridges across the Rappahannock as part of the planned Rappahannock River Crossing along I-95.

The six-year plan also includes other Fredericksburg-area projects:

• Widening of U.S. 17 in Stafford
• Up to $55 million for road construction and maintenance
• Commuter parking lots, which are being expanded
• The Falmouth intersection project, which is adding lanes at the spot where U.S. 1, U.S. 17 and Butler Road intersect.

“I am pleased to see that the decision we made in Richmond to improve and adequately fund Virginia’s transportation needs is bearing fruit.,” said Dudenhefer, R-Stafford. “None of this would have been possible without passage of the transportation bill.”

Cord Sterling, a Stafford County supervisor and member of the CTB, said “the future of transportation in the Fredericksburg region means less congestion, smoother roads with fewer potholes, and new highway capacity and bridges to deliver people where they need to go.”

The state’s current transportation bill, signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday, funds $3.4-billion in Virginia for the fiscal year.

The governor touted the bill as the first “comprehensive transportation funding plan approved in 27 years.”

In a release earlier on Wednesday, he also talked about the improvements planned in the six-year plan.

“Because of the new sustainable funding, the CTB can now look at the entire six-year-program with a long-term focus on improving the transportation system we have, building projects and planning new ones,” said Governor McDonnell.

In signing the transportation budget, the governor pointed out several fundamental changes in transportation planning and funding: the state’s recent gas-tax legislation change; tying transportation funding to the new taxing approach; and treating transportation “like the true core function of government … one essential to economic growth and job creation in our state.”

The governor’s release listed some details of what the six-year plan fund will do:

• Pavement and bridge rehab work
• Provide funding for mass transit, including Amtrak
• Rail improvements
• “Smart” road technology

Four public hearings will be held on the proposed six-year plan, and the CTB will vote on it in June.

Look for more details as they are released.

And in King George, crews will be doing pavement work on Route 301 near the Machadoc Creek bridge.

Crews also will be washing area bridges this week.

See the rest of this week’s road alerts below in VDOT’s Hot Spots and I-95 express lanes work zone updates.

Hot Spots

Travel Alert

Bridge Washing

Monday– Friday; Crews will continue bridge washing at various locations throughout Stafford, Spotsylvania and King George next week.  Motorists will be restricted one lane in the work zone.  This preventative maintenance operation will take place periodically between 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. and again between 9 p.m. 2 a.m. depending on the location.

Stafford County

Interstate 95 Ramps at Exit 140 and Exit 136

(New) Monday – Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; crews will be repairing the slope and shoulder on the ramps at Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) and at Exit 140 (Rt. 630/Stafford) from  north and southbound I-95. The travel lane will be narrowed on the ramps.

Spotsylvania County

Interstate 95

(New) Thursday, 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.; motorists will be restricted to one lane on I-95 north between mile marker 122 and mile marker 123 located between Exit 118 (Rt. 639/Ladysmith) in Caroline County and Exit 126 (Rt. 1/ Spotsylvania) in Spotsylvania County.   Crews will be repairing the pavement in this area.

King George County

Route 301 south

Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.; motorists will be restricted to one lane on Route 301 south  from the Harry Nice Bridge to just east of Route 206 near Dahlgren.  Crews will be milling and paving in this area.  Motorists should expect a rough riding surface and major delays in the work zone.

Route 301 south

(New) Monday – Tuesday, 7 a.m. –  7 p.m.; crews will be repairing the pavement on Route 301 south between Route 205 and the south end of the bridge over Machadoc Creek.  Motorists will be restricted to one lane in the mobile work zone.

Under Construction

Spotsylvania County

Route 208 (Spotsylvania Courthouse Bypass, Phase II)

Construction continues on the final segment of the Spotsylvania Courthouse Bypass from Post Oak Road to just east of the Ta River near Lake Anna. Estimated completion date is spring 2013.

Route 3 Widening Project (Spotsylvania County Project)

This widening project of Route 3 is located between Chewing Lane and Gordon Road.

Stafford County

Route 1 Bridge over Aquia Creek

Crews are replacing the Route 1 bridge at Aquia Creek, located just south of Telegraph Road. Motorists should be alert to construction equipment entering and exiting the work zone and periodic lane closures.  Estimated completion date is August 2015.

Falmouth Intersection (Route 1/Route 17/Route 218)

Utility relocation work is underway.  Motorists should be prepared for brief delays and periodic lane closures on Route 1 just north and south of the Falmouth intersection. Construction work will begin in early 2014.

Caroline County

Route 207 Bridge Replacement Project

Work is underway to replace the westbound Route 207 bridge over the CSX railroad tracks. Westbound traffic has been shifted to the new bridge and one lane remains closed on the eastbound bridge. Motorists should be alert to this new traffic pattern. The speed limit remains 45 mph in the work zone. Estimated completion date is May 2013.

Route 600 (Frog Level Road)

Boot Swamp bridge replacement project is underway.  Motorists will be restricted to one lane on the Route 600 bridge. Estimated completion date is summer 2014.

King George County

Route 301 Bridge over the Rappahannock River

Work is underway on the Route 301 bridge over the Rappahannock River. The bridge connects Caroline and King George counties at Port Royal. All traffic has been shifted to the southbound lanes on the bridge with one lane open to traffic in each direction. Motorists should be alert to construction activity and changes in traffic patterns. Estimated completion date is July 2013.

I-95 Express Lanes

Nighttime work – Closures occur between 9 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

• I-95 reversible HOV lanes from Dumfries Rd. (Route 234) to Duke St. (Route 236) – Road closed Monday – Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Friday night from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. and Saturday night from 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. for excavation, backfill, barrier demolition and conduit installation. Traffic will be directed to use the general purpose lanes.

• I-95 reversible HOV lanes from Dumfries Rd. (Route 234) to Duke St. (Route 236) – Road closed from 11 p.m. Friday night, May 17, until 4 p.m. Sunday May 19 for drilled shaft work and Intelligent Transportation System installation. Traffic will be directed to use the general purpose lanes.

• I-95 north and south between I-495 and Exit 160, Gordon Blvd. (Route 123) – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for survey, ground work, barrier movement, and excavation. Closure will not be more than two miles.

• I-95 north and south from Cardinal Dr. overpass to Exit 158, Prince William Pkwy. (Route 294) – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for ground work.

• I-95 north and south between Cardinal Dr. overpass and Exit 152, Dumfries Rd. (Route 234) – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for ground work.

• I-395 north and south between I-495 and Exit 4, Seminary Rd. (Route 420) – Two lanes closed Monday – Friday nights for barrier, foundation, ground and drainage work.

• Franconia Springfield Pkwy. (Route 289) east and west at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for barrier and striping work.

• Old Keene Mill Rd. (Route 644) to I-95 north and south – Single lane of ramps closed Monday – Friday for test bores.

• Old Keene Mill Rd. (Route 644) east and west at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for test bores.

• Fairfax Co. Pkwy. (Route 286) south to I-95 south – Ramp closed Monday – Friday nights for drainage work. Traffic will be directed to continue south, take exit for I-95 north,  stay to the right to enter onto Fairfax Co. Pkwy. (Route 286) north, stay to the right and follow signs to I-95 south.

• Backlick Rd. north and south from Highland Rd. to Fairfax County Pkwy. (Route 286) – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for test bores.

• Gordon Blvd. (Route 123) at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday nights for ground work.

• Joplin Rd. (Route 619) east or west at I-95 – Road closed Wednesday – Friday nights for steel beam instillation. Two way traffic will be directed by a flagger.

Daytime work – Closures occur Monday – Thursday between 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon unless otherwise noted.

• I-95/395 reversible HOV lanes between I-495 and Dumfries Rd. (Route 234) – Single lane closed Sunday – Saturday for excavation, ground and survey work, material delivery.

• I-95 north and south between I-495 and Exit 143, Garrisonville Rd. (Route 610) – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for survey, girder installation barrier placement and equipment movement. Closure will not be more than two miles.

• I-395 south between Exit 4, Seminary Rd. (Route 420) and I-495 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for drainage, survey and ground work.

• Franconia Springfield Pkwy. (Route 286) west to I-395 north – Single lane of ramp closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

• Alban Rd. north and south from Boudinot Rd. to Fullerton – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

• Boudinot Rd. east and west from Fairfax County Pkwy. (Route 286) to Alban Rd. – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

• Furnace Rd. east and west at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for bridge work.

• Gordon Blvd. (Route 234) east and west from Old Bridge Rd. to Annapolis Way – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

• Prince William Pkwy. (Route 294) from Telegraph Rd. to Commuter Lot Entrance – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

• Russell Rd. east and west at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for detour sign installation, paving, excavation.

• Joplin Rd. east and west at I-95 – Single lane closed Monday – Friday for ground work.

The leak happened just north of Joshua Road, said Mark Doyle, with Stafford County’s Department of Fire and Rescue.

He called the leak significant and said that traffic has been alternating use of one lane.

Crews have put down materials on the fluid, but are waiting for equipment to show up to clean the spill, Doyle said.

It could take a couple hours for that equipment to arrive, he said.

With big backups on Interstate 95 north of Garrisonville, it might take even longer.

The crash happened at 1 a.m., according to Sgt. Thomas Molnar, when a northbound Hyundai Accent crossed into the path of a tractor-trailer on U.S. 17, near Hicks Landing Road. The crash scene is also near Route 301.

Molnar said the Hyundai hit the Peterbuilt tractor-trailer then ran off the road and hit a tree. He said the driver, 27-year-old Joseph R. Jones, was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected. He died at the scene.

A passenger, Heather Peters, 37, was wearing her seat belt and suffered only minor injuries. She was taken to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment.

The driver and a passenger in the tractor-trailer were wearing their seat belts and suffered no injuries.

The highway was closed for four hours after the crash, Molnar said.

Molnar said alcohol is considered to be a factor in the crash, though the investigation continues.

State police handled the crash with help from the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.

The Stafford roads are as follows:

• Hartwood Road, from U.S. 17 to the Fauquier County line.
• Spotted Tavern Road, from Hartwood Road to the Fauquier line.
• Poplar Road, from Hartwood Road to U.S. 17.

These Spotsylvania roads will get the lines painted:

• Orange Plank Road, from State Route 3 to the Orange County line.
• Catharpin Road, from the Orange line to Route 610.

VDOT’s Kelly Hannon suggested that drivers should avoid passing the line-painting vehicles. The paint will be wet, which means it could adhere to vehicles and negatively impact the paint on the pavement. She said it doesn’t take long for the paint to dry.

The closure stretches from Interstate 395 at the Washington, D.C., line to Dumfries at Route 234.

The HOV lanes will be closed beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. The lanes south of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway to Dumfries are scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday. The lanes north of that stretch are slated to open at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The closures will allow crews to do foundation work on signs as well as handle drainage and barrier work, said Steve Titunik with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Virginia Megaprojects.

Signs and message boards will give travelers a heads-up, and police will be present in the construction zone.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will decide whether to finalize the six-year, $355-million deal at its June meeting, according to a release from the governor’s office.

“We will use technology more effectively to better manage congestion, freight movement, incidents, severe weather related incidents and traveler information,” Gov. McDonnell said in the release.

Under the agreement, Serco would operate the state’s five transportation operations centers and VDOT’s Safety Service Patrol, which is a fleet of vehicles that help with stranded motorists and accidents.

The operations centers handle nearly 900 traffic cameras, 500 electronic message boards and 1,000 road sensors throughout the state, according to the release.

The governor’s office said that under Serco, the state’s traffic management system would:

• Improve and maintain the reliability of electronic devices
• Manage responses to incidents and emergencies, help clear roadways and get traffic moving as quickly as possible
• Dispatch the Safety Service Patrol and maintenance crews to respond to incidents
• Reduce travel times by providing 511 traveler information
• Manage the HOV/reversible lanes
• Provide real-time information to emergency responders
• Serve as emergency operations centers during major events
• Coordinate signal systems

More than 30 companies responded to VDOT’s request for information on how to operate the transportation centers, the governor’s office said.

The highway department wants one company to operate the centers, which are in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Salem and Staunton.

Serco is a U.S. division of United Kingdom-based Serco Group PLC, an international company that provides management services for governments and private companies worldwide, according to its website. It helps governments and private companies with management of such things as traffic systems, healthcare, education and defense support.

The governor’s release said that Serco has “administered and provided oversight to approximately 400 contracts in the operations management, information technology, and professional services.”