I-395 HOV Ramp at Seminary Road Opens Monday Afternoon

PHOTO: New ramp linking I-395 HOV lanes to Seminary Road; photo courtesy of VDOT

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The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) opened the new ramp linking the I-395 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to Seminary Road in Alexandria on Monday afternoon (Jan. 11), in time for the evening commute. Testing of gate signals and lighting on the new ramp were successfully completed Saturday morning.

The new ramp, which is only open to vehicles with three or more occupants and buses, will provide a direct connection between the I-395 HOV lanes and the Mark Center and Seminary Road. The ramp will reverse directions according to the same reversal schedule as the HOV lanes. Vehicles that are not HOV-3+ will not be allowed to use the ramp.

The new ramp will link the I-395 HOV lanes to Seminary Road on the top level of the Seminary Road interchange, where there will be a new traffic signal, turn lanes, and a dedicated left-turn lane for motorists heading to the Mark Center. The ramp is one of the final elements of a project that includes a new Seminary Road bridge over I-395, at which all lanes opened on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and a new pedestrian bridge over I-395, which is slated to open in February 2016.