The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in partnership with Transurban, operator of the I-95 Express Lanes, recently broke ground in the I-395 extension project.
The extension of the I-395 Express Lanes will run the eight miles from Turkeycock Run in Alexandria to Washington, D.C. The stretch of I-395 is one of the most traveled in the United States, and expansion will improve travel times and cut down on delays, VDOT said.
The project includes adding a lane between the Duke Street and Edsall Road Interchanges, adding new bus lanes and HOV commuter lanes, reconstructing the Pentagon’s South Parking area, and building new sound walls.
Transurban will pay the state $15 million annually to support transit and multimodal initiatives.
“Anyone who travels on I-395 and I-95 today can attest that this is one of the most congested corridors in the country,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said. “Today’s groundbreaking is the first project of the Commonwealth’s larger Atlantic Gateway Initiative which aims to unlock the I-95 Corridor. The Atlantic Gateway Initiative and the I-395 project demonstrate how we can work with our public and private partners to improve the quality of life for Virginians and our visitors – and keep our new Virginia economy growing.”
The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2020.