Chairman Bulova Cuts Ribbon on I-66 HOV Ramps

February 28, 2011 – Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova today joined Gov. Bob McDonnell in cutting the ribbon on the I-66 HOV lanes at Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road. The ramps will now be open during off-peak hours to ease traffic congestion on I-66, which extends past rush hour and into the weekends.

“The opening of the HOV ramps will immediately ease the burden on Fairfax County commuters outside of rush hour,” Chairman Bulova said. “This may seem like a small change to some, but it will add capacity to one of Fairfax County’s most congested highways and clear the way for more than 8,000 cars every day,” Chairman Bulova said.

Chairman Bulova at a June 2010 Board meeting directed County transportation staff to dislodge the initiative, which had been stalled pending the compilation and submission to the Federal Highway Administration of an Interchange Modification Report assessing the impact of the change. The project began in 2007, but only came to fruition after County staff got involved last summer.

“I applaud the expeditious work of our County transportation staff to get this project off the shelf and completed,” she said. “Without their efforts, we would not be here today.”

Chairman Bulova pointed out that while opening the ramps will not solve all the traffic problems on I-66, it will ease congestion along that route as well as US-50, the Fairfax County Parkway, and Route 28. Opening these ramps during off-peak hours will also give motorists another way to avoid the construction happening as VDOT adds a new interchange where the Fairfax County Parkway and the Fair Lakes Parkway intersect, she said.

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