Spotsylvania supervisors press for study that would add a river crossing option into Spotsylvania

The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask regional planners to make sure any Rappahannock River crossing decision includes an option that would create a route into Spotsylvania County or that the regional study be expanded to evaluate such an option.

The vote followed a presentation by members of the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC), which reviewed five corridor options developed for a proposed bridge and parkway intended to reduce regional congestion. CTAC recommended an alternative alignment — identified during committee work as “option C” or a CTAC-modified version of it — that would make greater use of existing roads (including Celebrate Virginia Parkway/Carl D. Silver Parkway) and that could be branched south to create at least one crossing that connects directly into Spotsylvania County.

The presentation emphasized minimizing environmental impacts, using existing infrastructure when possible, and matching routes to modelled travel demand. CTAC members and local residents described how the CTAC-aligned alternative could be routed to avoid wetlands and sensitive terrain, and how a southern branch could create a second access point into Spotsylvania County that would improve the road grid and provide drivers more route choices.

Supervisors debated regional fairness and local impacts. Several supervisors cautioned that the county risks having traffic “dumped” onto local roads (Bragg Road and River Road were named repeatedly) if a crossing only connects Fredericksburg and Stafford. Board members also raised questions about project cost, funding sources and timing; speakers reminded the board that large bridge projects can take decades from corridor selection to opening. The board discussed the difficulty of adding Spotsylvania-specific options after an initial corridor is endorsed by other jurisdictions, and the practical limits of right-of-way and environmental constraints for western or more remote crossings.

After questions and back-and-forth about whether to endorse any option, the board agreed on a single statement to send to the regional decision-makers: Spotsylvania County seeks an option that provides an opportunity to add a route into Spotsylvania that adds greater benefits to the entire region. The motion passed 5–0.

The board asked staff to prepare a written, board-approved resolution/letter to FAMPO and to request a formal change order or study amendment so CTAC’s proposed alignment and the branch into Spotsylvania would be evaluated in the current study rather than waiting for a separate future study. Staff cautioned that funding for additional study work would have to be identified and that formal environmental (NEPA) review would follow any corridor endorsement.

Speakers during the item indicated the board will return its choice to FAMPO when the regional policy board meets; the city of Fredericksburg and Stafford County were reported to be considering their positions separately.

The board’s action is procedural — it expresses the county’s regional preference and asks for study scope changes; it does not select a final corridor or commit county funds beyond existing planning processes. The board recorded its direction as a formal vote for transmittal to the FAMPO policy board.