The Capital Beltway will get new express lanes, just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel period. The northern extension of the I-495 express lanes is scheduled to open on Saturday, November 22, the VDOT announced.
This expansion includes two new express lanes on each side of I-495. They’ll connect with existing express lanes near the Dulles Corridor Interchange and extend north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) before the American Legion Bridge into Maryland.
The project also includes new express ramps from the Dulles Toll Road, both east and westbound. An express ramp will run from I-495 northbound to GWMP and another from GWMP to the I-495 southbound express lanes.
VDOT urges drivers to use caution on the new express lanes “as traffic becomes acclimated to the new lanes and ramps.”
This project is part of the ongoing, $660 million 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project. After the northbound section opens, construction will continue on new Beltway bridges on Georgetown Pike and other “finishing work throughout the corridor.” VDOT plans to complete the project in mid-2026.
Before you head out, find the latest traffic, work zone, and incident information online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, via the free mobile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511 in Virginia at any time. VDOT also posts the latest construction and lane closure news at 495next.vdot.virginia.gov.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
