Overview

Facts at a Glance

Project will: build four HOV/HOT lanes on the Capital Beltway between the Springfield Interchange and just north of the Dulles Toll Road, a distance of 14 miles.
Cost: $1.4 billion
Start date: July 2008
Estimated completion: 2013

What's Being Done

For updated construction-related alerts, visit the Featured Headlines page.

High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are tolled lanes that operate alongside existing highway lanes to provide users with a faster and more reliable travel option.

This project will build fourteen miles of new HOT lanes (two in each direction) on I-495 between the Springfield Interchange and just north of the Dulles Toll Road. These HOT lanes will allow the Beltway to offer HOV-3 connections with I-95/395, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road for the first time. When completed, buses, carpools and vanpools with three or more people, and motorcycles can ride in the new lanes for free. Vehicles carrying two people can either travel for free in the regular lanes, or pay a toll to ride in the HOT lanes. Tolls for the HOT lanes will change according to traffic conditions, which will regulate demand for the lanes and keep them congestion free - even during peak hours.

In addition to providing new travel choices, this project will also make a significant contribution to the Beltway’s 45-year-old infrastructure, replacing more than 50 aging bridges and overpasses, upgrading 10 interchanges and improving new bike and pedestrian access. The I-495 HOT Lanes construction is divided into four areas. Click here for interchange-by-interchange construction phasing.

The Partners

This project is made possible through a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Fluor - Transurban. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is also playing an active role in the project, which will provide opportunities for expanded public transportation in the corridor. Fluor-Transurban is financing, designing and building the project with environmental review and oversight from VDOT. Once completed, Transurban will operate and maintain the HOT lanes. VDOT will continue to own the facility.

Public Involvement

NEW! VDOT has closed the comment period on proposed changes to the interchange at I-495, the Dulles Toll Road and the Dulles Access Road. Click here for more information.

The project has been shaped by more than a decade of environmental studies, environmental review and public input. Go to Project Timeline (pdf) for more information.

For More Information

Go to VirginiaHOTLanes.com for more detailed project and construction information.

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Project Benefits

All Motorists

All motorists will benefit from the project, even if they do not choose to use the HOT lanes. When completed, HOT lanes will create a tremendous incentive to move more people through ride-sharing and buses, while better managing congestion on the general purpose lanes. This will make the Capital Beltway flow more efficiently and reduce cut-through traffic on local neighborhood streets. Commuters on the Capital Beltway will spend less time in stop-and-start traffic, saving fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

Carpoolers

The project will deliver a new HOV option to the Capital Beltway in Virginia, opening up new carpooling and slugging opportunities to Virginia’s largest employment center, Tysons Corner. The project will significantly expand the regional HOV network and link with the planned I-95/395 HOV/Bus/HOT lanes, I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road creating a 70-mile HOV/Bus/HOT lanes network.

Public Transportation Users

The HOT lanes will significantly improve the opportunity for reliable bus service on the Capital Beltway in Virginia for the first time, providing free-flowing access for buses into Tysons Corner and other activity centers.

The Community

The project will support the region’s continued economic prosperity, unclogging one of the busiest commuter routes in the nation and providing greater access to busy activity centers such as Tysons Corner and INOVA Fairfax Hospital.

HOT lanes will keep traffic moving efficiently on the Capital Beltway and keep through-traffic out of local neighborhoods.

And because HOT lanes provide incentives to use buses or carpools and create smoother traffic flow, the environment will benefit from reduced vehicle emissions.

Public-Private Partnership

By partnering with the private sector to build HOT lanes, Virginia can move forward on this project much more quickly than would be possible using traditional funding and construction methods - capitalizing on the best technology, financing methods, engineering and innovation.

Go to VirginiaHOTLanes.com for more detailed project and construction information.

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Lane Closures

With construction ramping up on this project, expect day-time and night-time lane closures (non-rush hour) during the week on stretches of I-495 and various interchanges and bridges. There will be occasional night closures of all I-495 lanes in one direction for bridge construction. Those closures will be closely supervised by Virginia State troopers and will be communicated well in advance.

Generally, no lane closures will occur during rush hours – 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays. There are no closures during the weekends or holidays.

Businesses and residential communities will remain accessible.

Click here for the alerts on planned construction activity and lane closures. Go to www.511virginia.org for the latest traffic conditions.

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