Warren County: New bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway opens ahead of schedule

The new Route 658 (Rockland Road) bridge in Warren County opened to traffic Friday afternoon, five months ahead of schedule.

Since early 2024, contractors for the Virginia Department of Transportation were constructing a new bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railway near Front Royal and the Virginia Inland Port. The project improves Rockland Road traffic flow reliability while accommodating future rail needs.

Removal of all detour signs will likely continue through the week. Rockland Road motorists should be alert for shoulder closures and occasional lane closures as necessary through September 2025 during the final phases of the project.

All work is weather permitting. Details and traffic updates are found on the VDOT project page.

Before bridge construction, Rockland Road motorists experienced frequent and often lengthy delays at the railroad crossing due to slow-moving or stopped trains, including trains loading or unloading at the Virginia Inland Port. Rail traffic will pass underneath the new bridge while vehicles travel uninterrupted over the bridge.

The Rockland Road bridge is 220 feet long and 42 feet wide with a minimum vertical clearance of 23 feet. The bridge’s height and length allow passage of double-stacked freight containers and would accommodate a future third rail line.

The project also realigns part of Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard), the entrance to Rockland Park. With the opening of the new bridge, motorists can now approach Rockland Park from either direction on Rockland Road.

A construction contract valued at $11.8 million was awarded in October 2023 to Shirley Contracting Company LLC of Lorton. The total estimated cost for the project is $20.6 million, including preliminary engineering, right-of-way and utility relocation expenses, and construction. The project is partly funded by a BUILD grant awarded to the Virginia Port Authority by the United States Department of Transportation in 2018.