FREDERICKSBURG – Route 639 (Walnut Shade Road) in Essex County was closed to through traffic this afternoon at Baylors Creek due to a culvert failure that also damaged the road’s travel surface.
A scheduled culvert replacement project on Walnut Shade Road was planned to start in January 2025, but has now been accelerated. Walnut Shade Road is anticipated to be closed to through traffic at Baylors Creek for up to 45 days, weather permitting.
Signs have been posted along the detour route, and additional message boards are currently being placed this evening to notify travelers. Motorists are encouraged to follow the recommended detour, which is approximately 9 miles long:
- Route 625 (Supply Road)
- Route 641 (Quarter Hill Road
- Route 17 (Tidewater Trail)
- Route 640 (Clarkes Store Road)
- Route 639 (Ullainee Road)
An average of 70 vehicles a day travel Walnut Shade Road, according to a VDOT traffic count.
Updates on the status of Walnut Shade Road will be available on 511.VDOT.Virginia.Gov.
