Travelers can expect to encounter delays over a 24-hour period at the intersection of Route 3/14 (John Clayton Memorial Highway) and Route 17 Business (Main Street) at Gloucester Court House tomorrow and Thursday, as crews install new traffic signal equipment, according to a release from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Virginia State Police will direct traffic at the intersection between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday.

Motorists are advised to reduce their speed, eliminate distractions, and follow the direction of law enforcement as they navigate the work zone.

Crews will first deactivate and remove the existing traffic signal equipment, and new equipment will be installed in its place.

New equipment is needed to accommodate pedestrian crosswalks and additional turn lanes built at the intersection, which will open to travelers by Feb. 17, 2021.

Construction to finish a SMART SCALE-funded project is in its final weeks. In addition to this week’s overnight work, motorists can expect daytime lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays over the next four weeks. Crews will be completing final paving and pavement markings at the intersection, and finalizing the addition of new sidewalk and medians.

Project background

Gloucester County submitted an application to build this $1.5 million project through Virginia’s SMART SCALE transportation funding program.

SMART SCALE was established to choose the right transportation projects for funding and ensure the best use of limited tax dollars. Potential projects that have been determined to meet a need identified in VTrans—the state’s long-range multi-modal transportation plan—are scored based on safety, congestion, accessibility, land use, economic development and the environment.