Opening Dates for I-95 Express Lanes Announced

The new toll Express Lanes on Interstate 95 finally have an opening date.

New ramps and lanes will open late Sunday, Dec. 14. Standard HOV rules will continue (limiting lanes to cars with 3 or more people during rush hour).

On Monday, Dec. 29, the lanes will begin operating as tolled Express Lanes, where any motorist can ride for a toll fare and HOV motorists continue driving for free.

The multi-year project will replace HOV lanes from Dumfries to the Edsall Road exit near the Interstate 395 interchange. The Express Lanes are also extending the route south to Garrisonville Road in Stafford County.

The $940 million project is financed, constructed and operated in a public-private partnership between VDOT and Transurban with Fluor-Lane 95.

The average rush-hour trip on the Express Lanes will cost between $6 and $8, according to WJLA.

The new toll lanes will be priced based on demand and riders will pay electronically with an E-ZPass. HOV commuters will still be able to take the route, but will need a special E-ZPass Flex device on their dash.

“Our message to drivers is clear: Now is the time to prepare,” said Va. Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne.

Read about the new E-ZPass requirements.

During a project celebration on Wednesday in Alexandria, Gov. Terry McAuliffe thanked Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both former governors, for their roles in starting the project.

Kaine noted the impact the project will have on commuters and the success of the public-private partnership, with the project coming in on time and on budget.

“People are stuck in gridlock across the country,” he said. “In northern Virginia, we’re not waiting around.”

Photo provided by Prince William County Government