Toll lanes will open Aug. 17 on 10 miles of Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia, the latest addition of high-occupancy toll lanes to the Washington region’s road network.
Toll operator Transurban on Thursday announced the debut date of the Fredericksburg extension, which will bring Virginia’s network of express lanes to nearly 100 miles, spanning Interstates 66, 95, 395 and 495.
With the opening, drivers on the I-95 and I-395 corridor will have access to reversible express lanes from the D.C. line to Fredericksburg. The lanes are set northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoon.
Officials said they hope the opening will give drivers traveling through the busy corridor a faster and more reliable trip. The lanes will open to southbound traffic around 10 p.m. on Aug. 17 and to northbound traffic the following morning.
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The $670 million project, financed by Transurban, is wrapping up about a year behind schedule. It was delayed by a contract dispute stemming from challenges with soil conditions, including a plastic clay and silt material that officials said required a different approach to construction. The toll operator is extending the 95 Express Lanes from Route 610 in the Garrisonville area to Route 17 near Fredericksburg.
The extension will increase lane capacity by 66 percent in the peak travel direction along one of the region’s most congested stretches of highway, project officials said. The project is adding two reversible HOT lanes.
The express lanes have a dynamic pricing system, with tolls that rise and fall based on traffic conditions. Solo drivers and motorists with a single passenger will pay, while vehicles carrying three or more people can use the lanes free with an E-ZPass Flex transponder.
“Transurban is excited to bring more choices to more Virginia travelers as the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension is set to open in a few weeks,” Amanda Baxter, senior vice president at Transurban North America, said in a statement. “The trip from DC to Fredericksburg can now be even faster and more reliable than ever.”
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