I-66 Express Adds New Incident Response Vehicle With Advanced Safety Features

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Drivers on the 66 Express Outside the Beltway may soon see a new custom-built incident response vehicle designed to improve safety for both motorists and roadway crews responding to crashes and disabled vehicles along the corridor.

I-66 Express Mobility Partners (I-66 EMP), the private operator of the express lanes outside the Capital Beltway, announced it is preparing to place an upgraded incident response blocker vehicle into service. The vehicle builds on a custom design first introduced in 2022 and incorporates new technology intended to reduce responders' exposure to traffic while improving incident response operations.

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The vehicle was developed by I-66 EMP's operations team and delivered by Traffic Pro Beds of Frederick, Maryland. According to the company, the latest version includes improvements based on the experiences of front-line responders working along the express lane corridor.

New Safety Features

Among the new features are redesigned roadside equipment storage for easier access, upgraded traffic control deployment systems, integrated visibility and communications technology, and a J-TECH LaneBlade system that allows operators to remove roadway debris without leaving the safety of the cab.

The vehicle also is equipped with a TrafFix Devices Scorpion TL-3 crash attenuator, enhanced emergency lighting and messaging systems, multiple-camera recording technology, and custom equipment storage. Its compact design and tighter turning radius are intended to help crews maneuver through congestion and position protective equipment more efficiently during roadway incidents.

"Safety innovation is most effective when it comes directly from the people performing the work every day," Justin Chenault, I-66 EMP's director of roadway and field systems maintenance, said in a statement. "This vehicle was designed around real operational challenges our teams face on the roadway, with every improvement focused on reducing exposure, improving efficiency, and creating a safer environment for both responders and the driving public."

I-66 EMP Chief Operating Officer Hector Rubio said the project reflects the company's focus on improving both employee safety and the customer experience.

"At I-66 EMP, innovation isn't just about new technology," Rubio said in a statement. "It's about empowering the people closest to the work to solve real-world problems in ways that help ensure everyone — from I-66 EMP responders to 66 Express customers — gets home safely."

The 66 Express Outside the Beltway is a 22.5-mile toll facility that is part of the Virginia Department of Transportation's Transform 66 program. In addition to the express lanes, the project includes dedicated access ramps, an 11-mile shared-use path alongside Interstate 66 and space reserved for future transit infrastructure. I-66 Express Mobility Partners operates the facility under a public-private partnership with VDOT through 2066.