Posted on 11/24/2015 4:05:59 PM PST by markomalley
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) announced Tuesday morning that VDOT will extend the 95 Express Lanes two miles farther south, in an effort to fix the bottleneck where these HOT lanes merge back with the regular lanes of I-95.
Anyone driving south on I-95 from the D.C. area Tuesday or Wednesday will realize why the governor’s announcement on WTOP radio is important. Both the regular lanes and the express lanes can be backed up for miles at peak periods where the two sets of lanes merge near Garrisonville Road in Stafford County.
McAuliffe said the express lanes will be extended under an agreement with Transurban, the company that operates the high-occupancy toll lanes on I-95 and on the Capital Beltway in Northern Virginia. He said construction should begin in 2016.
The project will take about two years to complete. At the new terminus, express lanes traffic will rejoin the regular lanes from a left-side merge. The express lanes are reversible, to accommodate rush hour traffic, so drivers heading north would follow the same pattern: They will enter the express lanes from the left side. This extension may help the northbound traffic flow as well, but it’s the southbound traffic that has experienced the severe problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I have been watching this mess for awhile now. We are building a seperate highway, paid for with tolls, next to the existing hwy so that those that can afford it can get home sooner. PUT AN EXTRA LANE ON 95 AND BE DONE WITH IT!!! Jeez...
Bummer. Liberals will never pass something self sustaining
The original plan had the express lanes going to Massaponax (where I-95 intersect US 1 south of Fredericksburg). Maybe there, the traffic load will be light enough to accommodate the merge.
I would agree with adding a 4th Lane to I-95 from the Beltway to I-295 north of Richmond. It is desperately needed, because traffic can get backed up on holiday weekends SOUTH of Fredericksburg.
Actually, they would only need to do it from Va. 123 to I-295, since the stretch north of Va. 123 has already been widened.
Democrats think traffic is good, because it encourages the little people to use their money-haemorrhaging centrally planned mass transit.
I-95 is undrivable south until well into North Carolina now and forever.....
2 miles, two years.
Definite area to avoid if possible.
If they keep adding new roads alongside I95 someday the pavement will cover all the land between the Potomic and Manassas.
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