Coming in '08 to I-495: HOT Lane Construction

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA DRIVERS already likely know about the "cruel fantasy of an angry god" that's looming over the region's busy commerical hub at Tysons Corner, with planned expanded highway access and, if local, state and federal authorities come together, a new Metrorail line. Now, we have a better idea of the traffic mess that's coming. As The Post's Karin Brulliard reports this morning, transportation officials in Virginia will unveil their plans to build high-occupancy toll lanes on the Capital Beltway between Springfield and McLean, including new access ramps to Tysons Corner and improved interchanges at key junctions like I-66.

But first comes the pain for drivers of I-495, including a five-year construction timetable that starts in early 2008. Writes Brulliard:

The construction will add another major disruption to Northern Virginia's highways, whose commuters recently celebrated the end of an eight-year overhaul of the Springfield interchange, the most ambitious and gridlock-spawning road construction project in Virginia history.

In related Virginia transportation news, about two-thirds of commuters are using public transit and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the I-395 and Route 1 corridors. That's according to a new study released late last week by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.

The study contains some interesting statistics:
During the morning travel period surveyed, 6:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m. ...
» About 65 percent of people traveled through the corridor via public transit or rode in shared vehicles via HOV lanes.
» 34 percent of commuters used transit.
» 31 percent used HOV +2 lanes.
» Peak morning travel is between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

Additionally ...
» During the morning peak period, 57 percent of those using transit did so via Metrorail.
» Virginia Rail Express carried 12 percent of transit trips.
» Thirty-one percent of transit trips were with commuter and local buses.

» "Va. HOT Lane Project to Start Early Next Year" [WaPo]
» "Analysis of AM Peak Period Travel in Northern Virginia's I-95/I-395 Corridor. (August, 2007)" [NVTC]
» EARLIER: "Ambitious Construction Projects Merging to Create Traffic Nightmare" [WaPo]

Photo by Michael Robinson-Chavez/The Washington Post