FREDERICKSBURG FREE LANCE-STAR, SCOTT SHENK

Spotsylvania County will receive $3 million in federal grant funds to help with the costs of planned U.S. 1 improvements.

The grant money is part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity program, according to a statement from 7th District U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who advocated for and voted to pass the legislation.

The grant funds will help pay for a small portion of work along Route 1 between the Lafayette Boulevard and State Route 208 intersection and the Interstate 95 interchange. The work includes improvements at the Lafayette Boulevard and Route 208 intersection, Hope Road and I–95 ramp improvements.

The grant funds also will help pay for new bus service and connections to the downtown Fredericksburg train station.

Spanberger said in the statement that the federal grant funds are helping advance projects that have been stagnating because of lack of funding.

“This investment means we’ll see exciting progress towards improving travel along Route 1 in Spotsylvania County,” Spanberger said in the statement. “This award will help ease traffic congestion, improve transportation options for local residents, and make sure Spotsylvania County can keep up with the economic growth in the region.”

The county needs to cover an estimated $155.2 million in road improvements tied to the agreement for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, which is slated to open in late 2024.

The county has been seeking a variety of ways to pay for the projects focused on improving the roads around the clinic property in the U.S. 1 and Hood Drive area, including federal and state sources.

The grant money will help offset a portion of the costs for three projects, according to Spanberger’s statement.

One project aims to improve the I–95 interchange ramps. The estimated $12.6 million exit ramp project would add an additional left-turn lane on southbound U.S. 1 to the southbound exit and widen the ramp to two lanes.

Another project is the estimated $26 million in improvements planned at State Route 208/Lafayette Boulevard and Market Street intersections. There also would be sidewalks added and streetscape improvements at and between the two intersections.

The other clinic-related project, expected to cost $25 million, focuses on improving the U.S. 1 intersection with Hood Drive and Mine Road.