Transforming the commute
http://www.insidenova.com/news/local/northernva/transforming-the-commute/article_0e7f4dca-659c-11e3-8389-001a4bcf887a.html
One year from now, the 29-mile, $1 billion Interstate 95 Express Lanes project will be complete, ushering in a new era in the way Northern Virginia commutes.
Construction on the express lanes reached its midway point this fall, with the all work on lanes stretching from Edsall Road in Alexandria to Garrisonville Road in Stafford expected to be wrapped up by late 2014. In early 2015, the days of high occupancy vehicle lanes open to all traffic, as they are now after 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., will be a thing of the past.
The congested I-95 corridor’s HOV lanes will become toll lanes open to all traffic, regardless of the number of passengers they carry, 24 hours a day. But for drivers not carpooling, it’ll cost you.
Like the Interstate 495 Express Lanes opened last year, the tolls will be dynamic, changing with traffic flow. Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office has said a rush hour trip will likely cost drivers between $5 and $6.
For vehicles carrying three or more people, travel will remain free at all times. But drivers will be required to purchase new EZ-Pass Flex transponders, which feature a manual HOV+3 switch that must be activated to indicate carpoolers.
Sensors along the roadways will detect cars with transponders switched to HOV+3 and will send signals to state troopers posted along the roadway to visually check whether those cars actually contain three or more passengers.
Motorcycles will remain free. But drivers of hybrid vehicles with “clean-fuel” license plates will no longer enjoy a free trip. Like everyone else, they must carry three people or pay the toll.
Improvements and extensions
Since the Virginia Department of Transportation broke ground in August 2012, construction along the 29-mile corridor has included building new bridges, ramps and lanes, as well as a nine-mile extension of existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes from Va. 234 south to Garrisonville Road.
“We appreciate the patience the traveling public has shown during the last year of heavy construction on I-395/I-95 in Northern Virginia,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton said in a recent news release. “As shown by the progress achieved in just one year, VDOT and its 95 Express Lanes partners are committed to delivering faster and more predictable travel on the I-95 corridor in record time.”
The project, a public-private partnership with Transurban Group and Fluor Enterprises, also includes:
•Widening the existing HOV lanes from two lanes to three lanes for 14 miles from the Prince William Parkway to the Springfield Interchange
•Making improvements to the existing two HOV lanes for six miles from Va. 234 to the Prince William Parkway and for two miles from the Springfield Interchange to Edsall Road
•Adding new or improved access to and from the Express Lanes interchanges at Garrisonville and Joplin roads, Prince William County Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, onto I-495 and near Edsall Road.
Exit and entry points
Drivers will have plenty of options to get on and off the Express Lanes as long as they pay for the privilege or commute with three people in the vehicle.
Heading northbound on the express lanes will be 12 entry points starting at Garrisionville Road and the last being from I-495 Express Lanes/I-495.
Northbound drivers will be able to opt out of the express lanes at six locations. The first will be onto I-95 at the Prince William County Parkway and the last will be onto Interstate 395.
Southbound, drivers will be able to access the lanes from eight entry points, beginning at I-395. The last access point will be from I-95 at Dale Boulevard.
Southbound drivers will have 10 opportunities to get off of the express lanes. The first is onto I-495 Express Lanes/I-495/I-95. The final exit point is where the lanes end in Stafford County onto I-95 near Garrisonville Road.
All lanes will be resurfaced and expanded from two lanes to three along the 14 miles between Prince William Parkway and Edsall Road.
Heavy construction continues
Express lanes construction will remain in full swing throughout 2014, and drivers should expect continued traffic impacts including day and nighttime lane closures on I-95, weekend closures of the HOV lanes, limited shoulder access and continued truck traffic entering and exiting the work zones.
In recent weeks, crews completed the steel operations for the flyover ramp across I-95 near Garrisonville Road.
“We are on-schedule to start the steel operations for the Turkeycock (Edsall Road area) flyover ... Steel operations for Turkeycock will continue into December,” said Jamie Breme, a spokeswoman for Fluor-Lane 95, the private company overseeing the design and construction of the express lanes. “We are now approximately 60 percent complete.”
But changes will only take place on the span of roadway south of Edsall Road.
Once motorists reach Arlington County, vehicles with fewer than three passengers must exit the express lanes since they become HOV lanes, unless they arrive after 9 a.m., when the lanes will be open to all vehicles. Clean fuel plate hybrids will also continue to ride for free north of Edsall Road even if they have fewer than three riders.
Arlington County did not want to participate in the toll road project and filed a lawsuit in 2009 stating it would harm the environment and favor wealthy exurbanite commuters at the expense of poorer residents. In response, VDOT dropped its efforts to extend the toll roads beyond the beltway.
Toll-paying customers will have access to the 95 Express Lanes until the Edsall Road area. Beyond this point, the lanes will be restricted to carpools, transit, motorcycles and designated hybrids. Carpools and transit heading north on the 95 Express Lanes will be able to continue on to I-395 as they do today.
Toll-paying customers heading north on the 95 Express Lanes will have the option to travel directly onto the 495 Express Lanes toward Tysons Corner or re-enter the regular lanes on I-395 in the area of Edsall Road.
Motorists are urged to visit Vamegaprojects.com for the latest construction updates and traffic information.
http://www.insidenova.com/news/local/northernva/transforming-the-commute/article_0e7f4dca-659c-11e3-8389-001a4bcf887a.html
One year from now, the 29-mile, $1 billion Interstate 95 Express Lanes project will be complete, ushering in a new era in the way Northern Virginia commutes.
Construction on the express lanes reached its midway point this fall, with the all work on lanes stretching from Edsall Road in Alexandria to Garrisonville Road in Stafford expected to be wrapped up by late 2014. In early 2015, the days of high occupancy vehicle lanes open to all traffic, as they are now after 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., will be a thing of the past.
The congested I-95 corridor’s HOV lanes will become toll lanes open to all traffic, regardless of the number of passengers they carry, 24 hours a day. But for drivers not carpooling, it’ll cost you.
Like the Interstate 495 Express Lanes opened last year, the tolls will be dynamic, changing with traffic flow. Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office has said a rush hour trip will likely cost drivers between $5 and $6.
For vehicles carrying three or more people, travel will remain free at all times. But drivers will be required to purchase new EZ-Pass Flex transponders, which feature a manual HOV+3 switch that must be activated to indicate carpoolers.
Sensors along the roadways will detect cars with transponders switched to HOV+3 and will send signals to state troopers posted along the roadway to visually check whether those cars actually contain three or more passengers.
Motorcycles will remain free. But drivers of hybrid vehicles with “clean-fuel” license plates will no longer enjoy a free trip. Like everyone else, they must carry three people or pay the toll.
Improvements and extensions
Since the Virginia Department of Transportation broke ground in August 2012, construction along the 29-mile corridor has included building new bridges, ramps and lanes, as well as a nine-mile extension of existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes from Va. 234 south to Garrisonville Road.
“We appreciate the patience the traveling public has shown during the last year of heavy construction on I-395/I-95 in Northern Virginia,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton said in a recent news release. “As shown by the progress achieved in just one year, VDOT and its 95 Express Lanes partners are committed to delivering faster and more predictable travel on the I-95 corridor in record time.”
The project, a public-private partnership with Transurban Group and Fluor Enterprises, also includes:
•Widening the existing HOV lanes from two lanes to three lanes for 14 miles from the Prince William Parkway to the Springfield Interchange
•Making improvements to the existing two HOV lanes for six miles from Va. 234 to the Prince William Parkway and for two miles from the Springfield Interchange to Edsall Road
•Adding new or improved access to and from the Express Lanes interchanges at Garrisonville and Joplin roads, Prince William County Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, onto I-495 and near Edsall Road.
Exit and entry points
Drivers will have plenty of options to get on and off the Express Lanes as long as they pay for the privilege or commute with three people in the vehicle.
Heading northbound on the express lanes will be 12 entry points starting at Garrisionville Road and the last being from I-495 Express Lanes/I-495.
Northbound drivers will be able to opt out of the express lanes at six locations. The first will be onto I-95 at the Prince William County Parkway and the last will be onto Interstate 395.
Southbound, drivers will be able to access the lanes from eight entry points, beginning at I-395. The last access point will be from I-95 at Dale Boulevard.
Southbound drivers will have 10 opportunities to get off of the express lanes. The first is onto I-495 Express Lanes/I-495/I-95. The final exit point is where the lanes end in Stafford County onto I-95 near Garrisonville Road.
All lanes will be resurfaced and expanded from two lanes to three along the 14 miles between Prince William Parkway and Edsall Road.
Heavy construction continues
Express lanes construction will remain in full swing throughout 2014, and drivers should expect continued traffic impacts including day and nighttime lane closures on I-95, weekend closures of the HOV lanes, limited shoulder access and continued truck traffic entering and exiting the work zones.
In recent weeks, crews completed the steel operations for the flyover ramp across I-95 near Garrisonville Road.
“We are on-schedule to start the steel operations for the Turkeycock (Edsall Road area) flyover ... Steel operations for Turkeycock will continue into December,” said Jamie Breme, a spokeswoman for Fluor-Lane 95, the private company overseeing the design and construction of the express lanes. “We are now approximately 60 percent complete.”
But changes will only take place on the span of roadway south of Edsall Road.
Once motorists reach Arlington County, vehicles with fewer than three passengers must exit the express lanes since they become HOV lanes, unless they arrive after 9 a.m., when the lanes will be open to all vehicles. Clean fuel plate hybrids will also continue to ride for free north of Edsall Road even if they have fewer than three riders.
Arlington County did not want to participate in the toll road project and filed a lawsuit in 2009 stating it would harm the environment and favor wealthy exurbanite commuters at the expense of poorer residents. In response, VDOT dropped its efforts to extend the toll roads beyond the beltway.
Toll-paying customers will have access to the 95 Express Lanes until the Edsall Road area. Beyond this point, the lanes will be restricted to carpools, transit, motorcycles and designated hybrids. Carpools and transit heading north on the 95 Express Lanes will be able to continue on to I-395 as they do today.
Toll-paying customers heading north on the 95 Express Lanes will have the option to travel directly onto the 495 Express Lanes toward Tysons Corner or re-enter the regular lanes on I-395 in the area of Edsall Road.
Motorists are urged to visit Vamegaprojects.com for the latest construction updates and traffic information.