News Release

Resurfacing of Lee Drive Scheduled at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

Date: July 6, 2021
Contact: John Hennessy, [phone] x4010
Contact: Mary O'Neill

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Resurfacing work on Lee Drive at the Fredericksburg Battlefield will leave sections of the roadway unsuitable for bicyclists for at least three months.

Contractors for the National Park Service are scheduled to begin the repair and resurfacing of North Lee Drive and South Lee Drive on the Fredericksburg Battlefield the week of July 22. This work will include repairs of deteriorated sections of the roadway and the installation of a “chip-seal” surface on the length of the roads—aggregate (a brownish pea-gravel) distributed on a thin base of emulsified asphalt.

Warm weather and the use of the road by vehicles helps the aggregate adhere to the asphalt, but this process can often take eight weeks or more. While the work is going on and until the aggregate and asphalt bond, loose aggregate will make Lee Drive unsafe for bicyclists. This will be the case throughout the construction period and for approximately eight weeks after work has concluded—a total of at least three months for each segment of Lee Drive. Cyclists choosing to use Lee Drive during this time do so at their own risk.

Chip-seal is often used on low-traffic, low-speed roads like tour roads in National Parks. The color of aggregate can be selected to be more compatible with the surrounding landscape. The surface also tends to reduce vehicle speeds, an important consideration on a road like Lee Drive, where vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists often intermix.

Construction activity should cause only minor disruptions of vehicular traffic. Message boards on Lee Drive will warn cyclists and pedestrians of the upcoming work. The NPS will provide additional details on the timing of work as the project develops. 

Update (9/22/2021)

Weather dependent, maintenance crews will begin the chip seal process on South Lee Drive on Tuesday, 9/28/2021. Currently, the estimate is that work on South Lee Drive will last 3 days, then the work will shift to North Lee Drive. The completion of this process will be dependent on the weather remaining clear. Without any unforeseen issues arising, the chip seal process is currently projected to be complete by 10/08/2021. During this time their will be partial lane closures. Users of Lee Drive should be cautious of loose gravel and construction.

Update (10/27/2021)

The chip-seal resurfacing of Lee Drive is complete, however, the surface will take a few months to settle. Cyclists and pedestrians should use Lee Drive with caution during this time.