I-495 Express Lanes Extension East Of Springfield To Be Studied

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As one extension of Interstate 495 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia advances, federal, state and local agencies are studying another potential extension.

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced Thursday it is studying whether to extend the I-495 Express Lanes about 11 miles from the Springfield interchange onto the Woodrow Wilson Bridge at the Prince George's County, Maryland line. The study is being done with the Federal Highway Administration and other federal, state and local agencies in Virginia and Maryland. An environmental study will be started to evaluate a possible extension.

The current Express Lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495) run from the Springfield interchange north to just beyond the Dulles Toll Road alongside regular I-495 lanes. A new project being advanced in Northern Virginia will extend Express Lanes from Dulles Toll Road to the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Over the summer, the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project received federal approvals on its environmental assessment, allowing it to move to the design and construction phase. Maryland is working to advance its own proposed I-495 and I-270 improvements project called Op Lanes Maryland, which would connect to Virginia's Express Lanes.

The potential extension had been identified as an area of study in the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s adopted I-95 Corridor Improvement Plan. According to VDOT, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge fully opened in late 2008 with a design allowing additional space for future transportation needs, such as future rail.

"The express lanes are expected to provide additional travel choices, and to provide a key component of the overall transportation network in the region," stated Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. "This segment of the Capital Beltway will provide an opportunity to expand a regional system that already provides key components of the transit system, connecting activity centers with dedicated access points to transit hubs."

The environmental study will evaluate a one-lane express lanes alternative, a two-lane express lanes alternative and a no-build alternative. A lane reserved for transit in each direction on the bridge will be part of the study.

Agency and public input will be incorporated into environmental study process. A Transit and Transportation Demand Management Study by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation with the Maryland Transit Administration will help inform the study.