Expect delays April 4th on Route 522 in Frederick County

A series of brief closures are scheduled for Monday, April 4, on southbound Route 522 (Front Royal Pike) in Frederick County. The closures allow contractors to unload steel girders as part of the Opequon Creek bridge replacement project just south of Route 644 (Parkins Mill Road). Traffic stoppages are expected to take place between 9 am and 3 pm, with each one lasting for approximately 15 minutes. Southbound Route 522 motorists can expect traffic delays and may wish to consider using alternate routes.

Route 522 in the area of the Opequon Creek bridges has been limited to a single lane northbound and southbound since October 2021. Median-crossover lanes allow both directions of traffic use the northbound bridge while contractors for the Virginia Department of Transportation replace the southbound span. A barrier separates northbound and southbound drivers, and the work zone speed limit is 45 miles an hour.

The new Route 522 bridge is being constructed in approximately the same location as the current bridge but will be slightly higher and wider. The roadway approaches will be widened and a new guardrail will be installed. A six-foot-wide paved shoulder will be provided on the right side of the new bridge.

On July 1, 2021, VDOT awarded a $2,241,835.43 contract to Fairfield-Echols LLC of Fishersville, Va. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2022. All work is weather permitting.

About the project:
The southbound Route 522 (Front Royal Pike) Opequon Creek Bridge in eastern Frederick County has reached the end of its service life. Built-in 1953, the two-lane bridge is considered functionally obsolete. Functionally obsolete means a structure was designed with older design features that no longer meet current geometrics or modern traffic needs. This designation has no connection to condition rating but is based on functionality. The new bridge will be able to support modern traffic weights and speeds.

The new bridge will have two lanes and will be in the same location and be about a foot higher and will be widened slightly on its eastern side. The new structure will have steel girders and a concrete deck. The approaches on either side of the bridge will be widened and a new guardrail will be installed. A six-foot-wide paved shoulder will be provided on the right side of the new bridge.

This 0.452-mile-long project extends from 0.85-mile north of Route 642 to 0.05-mile north of Route 644.

In 2016 Route 522 had an average daily traffic count of 17,000 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2043, the estimated average daily traffic volume is 26,000 vehicles per day.

The total estimated cost for this project is $5.4 million, including $825,000 for preliminary engineering and $4.6 million for construction.

Virginia traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511 or visiting http://www.511Virginia.org.