VDOT Proposes Ideas To Reduce Congestion On Interstate 95: Report

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — At a public meeting held this week at James Monroe High School, Virginia Department of Transportation officials unveiled their ideas to tackle traffic congestion on Interstate 95. However, motorists might be surprised to hear the most feasible ideas do not include the addition of lanes.

Officials told those in attendance at the meeting that adding one lane — or even two or three — would do little to reduce congestion while remaining cost-effective, the Free Lance-Star reports. Instead, the plan favors approaches such as increased transit or ride-sharing opportunities as well as interchange improvements.

The ideas are part of a study underway by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The study is looking into congestion and crashes on the 179 miles of I–95 in the state. While the study’s first phase pinpointed problem areas, the current second phase is focused on potential solutions.

The study already has pinpointed several especially troublesome areas — places that will come as no surprise to frequent travelers on the span. WTOP, for example, pointed out in July the traffic jams over the Occoquan are so much worse than at other spots that they skew a review of potential improvements. At the meeting, officials said the top three origin points for southbound afternoon peak commuter traffic on I–95 heading to Stafford County were Arlington, Washington and Fort Belvoir.

Officials also noted improved towing service and the use of drones to help clear crash scenes. Several in-progress road projects should improve the interstate’s traffic flow through the Fredericksburg region, officials said.

One project includes recent construction along a 10-mile stretch of I-95, where Transurban is extending the reversible 95 Express Lanes from Route 610 to Route 17 near Fredericksburg. As pointed out by the Washington Post, the $565-million project is part of the state's plan to create a network of more than 90 miles of HOT lanes by 2022.

VDOT will present the study’s recommended solutions at public meetings in November.

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