Orange Line Shutdowns Near Vienna To Occur With 66 Roadwork

VIENNA, VA—As construction begins on Interstate 66 toll lanes outside the Beltway, commuters could expect some major traffic and Metro disruptions starting this spring.

Construction is expected to begin in late March and early April, WTOP reports. At times, that work will result in some lanes being narrowed through concrete barriers and lane shifts. The first delays will be at between Jermantown Road and Route 123 near Oakton, at the Beltway interchange, Route 234 in Prince William County and along Va. Route 28 around Centreville.

Metro's Orange Line will have shutdowns during construction, but officials are no longer considering shutdowns affecting weekday commuters. Transportation officials rejected a plan to shut down the Dunn Loring station for about two months. Instead, shutdowns at intervals on weekends are more likely.

Construction will impact the Dunn Loring Station in another way. A tentative agreement is in place to move the Dunn Loring power station west of the station's parking lot to build a ramp from 66. This move would necessitate the station's entrance be moved as well. A final agreement has not yet been reached for this part of the project.

Express Mobility Partners, a group of private companies, will construct and operate the lanes. Transurban, which operates I-95 and I-495 Express lanes, is not involved. The project includes two new toll lanes in each direction 22 miles from the Beltway to Gainesville and could open by 2022. The road will still have three regular lanes and a shoulder each way.

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