Skip to main content

Virginia and Transurban spend $1bn on infrastructure to improve congestion

The US state of Virginia and road operator Transurban are investing more than $1 billion in four projects to help tackle congestion on the I-495 and I-95. The partners want to establish a 90-mile network of connected Express Lanes throughout Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg by 2022. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDoT) and Transurban have signed an agreement for the first project, Capital Beltway Express Lanes Northern Extension. The new 2.5-mile area will offer four general purpose lanes and
January 31, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

The US state of Virginia and road operator 600 Transurban are investing more than $1 billion in four projects to help tackle congestion on the I-495 and I-95.

The partners want to establish a 90-mile network of connected 8217 Express Lanes throughout Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg by 2022.

1747 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDoT) and Transurban have signed an agreement for the first project, Capital Beltway Express Lanes Northern Extension. The new 2.5-mile area will offer four general purpose lanes and two new 8217 Express Lanes in each direction from the current terminus near the Dulles Access Road to the American Legion Bridge. The network will be extended to the Maryland border to address bottlenecks in the region and reduce cut-through traffic in local McLean neighbourhoods.

Additionally, a reversible ramp connecting the existing I-95 Express Lanes at Optiz Boulevard is expected to provide better access to Potomac Mills and Sentara Virginia Medical Centre. It will also allow drivers to exit directly onto Optiz Boulevard.

A new southbound auxiliary lane is to be built on I-95 in Woodbridge to address the traffic bottleneck at the Occoquan Bridge. This lane will connect the southbound Route 123 ramp onto I-95 with the off-ramp at Westbound Prince Willian Parkway.

Scott Surovell, member of the Virginia Senate, says: “The Occoquan bottleneck is the worst traffic problem in Virginia and has been one of my top priorities since I was elected to represent Prince William County in 2015.”

The fourth project is a 10-mile extension of the 95 Express Lanes to Fredericksburg.

VDoT is also developing environmental studies to support the projects.

Virginia is also taking steps to bolster its commercial vehicle enforcement systems. Earlier this month, 69 International Road Dynamics won a $4.2 million %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external contract false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/ird-to-maintain-commercial-vehicle-enforcement-systems-in-virginia/ false false%> to use weigh-in-motion technology to help maintain 11 mainline and ramp systems owned by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

Related Content

  • Fluor to upgrade Red and Purple rail lines in Chicago
    December 20, 2018
    A joint venture team of Fluor and Walsh Construction has been chosen as the preferred partner for phase one of the Red and Purple Line modernisation programme in Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority is behind the $2.1 billion project, which is expected to improve infrastructure across both lines. The scope of the contract includes the development of new elevated tracks along a 1.9-mile section – featuring new bridges, support structures and existing tracks. Also, 3.2 miles of the signal system will be
  • ITS Australia: National Awards 2019 nominees
    October 15, 2019
    An autonomous Mobility as a Service pilot at a retirement village is among the nominees in ITS Australia’s National Awards 2019. Aurrigo is exploring how the technology will be used safely by elderly passengers in an environment where technical systems are not well understood. The Queensland Police Service’s forensic crash unit has also been nominated - for using drones to map crash scenes to help reduce road closure times and traffic congestion. In addition, Cooee Busways was chosen for using vehicl
  • Laser Technology launches TruCam II
    March 21, 2018
    Laser Technology arrives in Amsterdam sporting an all-new LTI 20/20 TruCam II hand-held laser-based speed enforcement system with photo and video capability for enforcement of approaching and departing vehicles at speeds up to 320km/h. A key enhancement is the use of a bespoke camera featuring ‘point and shoot’ imaging with auto focus, iris and shutter speed selection.
  • Pilomat improves road block surface product
    March 21, 2018
    Italian firm Pilomat is showing off the latest version of its surface-mounted hydraulic road blocker at Intertraffic. Designed to increase security at access points to residential, commercial and industrial areas, the Road Blocker Surface has been made more functional and safe with “aesthetical and mechanical improvements”, the company says. It is now “compact and easy to integrate into any urban space”. The first prototype was displayed at the last edition of Intertraffic two years ago. It previously ha