Richmond, Virginia: I-95 Southbound in Chesterfield Closes Overnight After Tar Truck Crash

Interstate 95 southbound through Chesterfield County, south of Richmond, will close overnight on Monday, November 9, 2026, so crews can repair damage from a morning crash involving a truck hauling tar. The Virginia Department of Transportation said the closure runs from 8 p.m. on November 9 to 6 a.m. on November 10, between the Woods Edge Road exit in Chesterfield County and the Temple Avenue exit in Colonial Heights.

A lane change, an overturned truck and spilled tar

The crash happened shortly before 5 a.m. on November 9, near the Ruffin Mill Road and Woods Edge Road exit, about four miles north of Colonial Heights. Virginia State Police Sgt. Jessica Shehan said a vehicle attempting to change lanes struck a truck that was hauling tar. The impact overturned the truck, and tar spilled across the southbound travel lanes.

Both drivers were taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening, Shehan said. State police said the investigation is continuing and charges are pending.

A slow Monday on the southbound lanes

Crews have been working on the road since shortly after the 5 a.m. accident. The morning cleanup snarled southbound traffic, and VDOT warned that travel through the area would stay slow while the cleanup continued. I-95 is the main north to south interstate through the Richmond and Petersburg area, so a full southbound closure pushes traffic onto U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 295, the two routes drivers in Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights use to get around a blocked interstate.

The overnight detour

Southbound drivers will leave I-95 at the Woods Edge Road exit and follow U.S. Route 1 south, then rejoin I-95 at Temple Avenue, a detour of about four to five miles, VDOT said. Drivers who want to avoid the area entirely can use Interstate 295 southbound, which reaches Colonial Heights from its State Route 36 interchange in Hopewell.

VDOT did not specify the damage in its statement, saying only that the highway was closing for repairs. WTVR reported that the damaged portion of the interstate will be repaved during the overnight closure. VDOT said the stretch is expected to reopen by 6 a.m. on November 10, in time for the traditional morning commute. Drivers can track the status of the work on the 511 Virginia website or mobile app.

By Monday afternoon, the work had moved from cleanup to a full overnight repair closure, with the reopening set before the Tuesday morning commute.