Paving delays block interstate again
For the second time in a month, morning commuters on Wednesday ran into a delay on Interstate 95 in Stafford County as the paving crews hadn't cleared out by the 4:30 a.m. deadline.
It was only a 15-minute delay, but it doesn't take much to cause backups during the commuter rush.
The problem this time was similar to the May 17 delay: an equipment malfunction.
This time it was a striping machine the contractor, Virginia Paving, had trouble with while working on two lanes from mile marker 141 to 143, said Tina Bundy, Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
"Unfortunately these things happen," she said. "Equipment malfunctions are not something anyone wants."
Bundy said the crews fixed the machine quickly but couldn't avoid the short delay because the lanes had to be striped.
The milling and paving project along I-95 from Stafford to Caroline is scheduled to run through December.
--Scott Shenk