The northbound bridge over Dragon Run on Rt. 17 at the Middlesex-Gloucester line requires repair once again after another crash, this time on July 26.
According to VSP Sergeant Michelle Anaya, around 2 a.m., John Fletcher of Shacklefords was driving a 2022 Ford F450 when he attempted to avoid a deer causing him to run off the road and hit the bridge and a guardrail.
Fletcher was charged with failure to maintain the lane, Anaya said.
Around 20 feet of bridge rail was damaged in the crash along with about 208 feet of guardrail north and south of the bridge, VDOT reported.
Due to that damage, traffic has reduced to a single lane at the bridge since the incident.
This latest crash reignited comments from some critics who believe there is an issue with the bridge because it has been involved in numerous incidents.
“How many times has this bridge been hit?” Christopher Trent of Fredericksburg wrote on Facebook.
“They need to stop temporarily fixing it and just replace the bridge. It’s ridiculous to keep doing the same thing over and over. It’s a waste of money to keep repairing it. Find the money and fix it,” Tina Carter of West Point commented.
There have been three crashes that struck the bridge since September 2023 including this latest strike, confirmed Alexis Breeden, senior communications specialist for VDOT Fredericksburg. The other two incidents were on September 14th and June 3rd.
The bridge is set for repair this week to address the damage from the July 26 incident. But, according to Breeden, the bridge is funded for replacement. Construction is estimated to start in January 2026 and be completed in January 2028.
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