State transportation officials announced that motorists traveling on Route 17 at Gloucester Point should be alert this week for a new traffic pattern near the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge. The 35 mph speed limit remains in effect in the work zone.

Weather permitting, the phase was to begin this Tuesday, said Marcie Parker, assistant Fredericksburg District administrator of maintenance.

The final phase of construction will shift southbound traffic to the west, said Tina Bundy, public information officer for VDOT’s Fredericksburg District. This shift will split north and southbound traffic, she said, and will prohibit left-turn movements through the work zone.

The new configuration will allow crews to focus on constructing the raised concrete median and reconstructing the inside lanes in each direction, Bundy said Nov. 24.

This traffic pattern will remain in effect until the project is completed, VDOT officials said.

"The project is ahead of schedule," P...