HOT Lanes - 95/395

Summary

Updated February 2011

On February 2, 2011, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton announced revisions to the I-95/395 portion of the HOT lanes project. The Board of Supervisors supports the newly designed project, but continues to press for more details on funding, transit service, and park-and-ride locations (see Chairman Bulova's Feb. 10 letter below). Some highlights of the project include:

Extend a two-lane 9-mile extension of the existing HOV lanes from Dumfries to Garrisonville Road in Stafford County
Construct a ramp from the HOV lanes on I-395 to Seminary Road at the Mark Center
Widen existing I-95 HOV lanes from two to three lanes across 14 miles between the Prince William Parkway to approximately two miles north of the Springfield Interchange in the vicinity of Edsall Road
Make improvements to the existing two HOV lanes for six miles from Route 234 to the Prince William Parkway
Create a seamless connection to the HOV/HOT Lanes on the Capital Beltway and into Tysons Corner
Add new or improved access to and from the HOV/HOT network at key interchanges, including Garrisonville Road, Joplin Road, Prince William County Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, I-495 and the vicinity of Edsall Road

VDOT has initiated a federal environmental review for this project and hopes to begin construction during the 2012 construction season. VDOT has pledged to keep commuters abreast of all construction updates as the project moves forward.

The Board of Supervisors is disappointed with the termination of the HOT lanes at the Beltway, but supports the timely action to move the project forward and to construct the ramp to the Mark Center. With the transfer of 6,400 Defense Department employees to the Mark Center in the City of Alexandria and the resulting traffic issues, relieving congestion at the site is critically important. For more information on BRAC and the Mark Center issues, please visit our BRAC page.

The HOT Lanes Project is a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and Fluor-Transurban.

The HOT Lanes will allow vehicles that do not meet the HOV requirements to pay a toll, determined by demand, to be allowed onto the express lanes on I-95/395.