04/26/2026
The Orange Plank Road (modern Route 3) in the Wilderness area of Spotsylvania as it looked in 1866. The road was planked on the eastbound side heading toward Fredericksburg. This was done to accommodate the heavier loads of farmers' wagons taking goods to the markets and rail connections of Fredericksburg.
The Plank Road came about in 1850 when the Fredericksburg and Valley Plank Road was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly. Generally, the plank roads of that era consisted of 8' long planks--3" to 4" thick and 6" wide--which were laid on stringers 24' x 4" placed about five feet apart. A skim coat of sand was applied over the planks to help reduce wear from the wagon wheels. ("Politics and Infrastructure: Fredericksburg and the Valley Plank Road, 1850-1862" by Keith and Katherine Littlefield)
