North Lee Drive Closing For Redo Chip Seal

Russ Smith, superintendent of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park, said the north end of Lee Drive from Lansdowne to Lafayette Boulevard will be closed Monday and Tuesday for chip and seal again.

Smith said the redo is at the expense of the contractor. Earlier this year, the National Park Service resurfaced the road with two coats of chip seal, a layer of tar topped with a layer of gravel. Smith said the upper layer of chip seal did not bond properly because traffic was allowed on the road too soon.

"So the National Park Service has asked the contractor to replace it with a new coat of chip seal, at his own expense, using a finer grade of gravel. Any gravel that does not adhere to the tar after the first few days will be swept from the roadway," he said. "The chip seal coating is part of a broader effort to reduce speed on Lee Drive to make it safer for all users. Other measures have included reducing the speed limit, installing Share the Road signs, and stepping up enforcement activities."

.

Want Fredericksburg news and information in your inbox? Learn more about free newsletters here.