Buckle up. A major construction project by the National Park Service is going to change the way drivers traverse the northern end of the George Washington Parkway through 2025.
The NPS’ $161 million North Parkway Rehabilitation starts Saturday after being delayed by weather. The start of the project will again be weather-permitting.
New patterns will impact the parkway between the Capital Beltway and Route 123 for those headed both north and south.
During the morning rush, there will be two southbound lanes to carry traffic toward DC and one northbound lane for those headed to Virginia and Maryland.
The three lanes flip for the evening rush, so there will be two northbound lanes headed toward Virginia and Maryland, and one southbound for DC.
There’s also a warning from the NPS to “expect delays through narrow travel lanes and plan alternate routes.” Those temporary 10-foot lanes will be separated by small barriers.
Beyond repaving, the goal of the rehab project is to “improve the driving experience, safety, and water drainage,” Parkway superintendent Charles Cuvelier said when the effort was announced back in 2021.
The new George Washington Parkway traffic patterns and times from the NPS are below.
Weekday morning rush hour (5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)
- Two lanes southbound (toward DC).
- Drivers who need to exit at Route 123 or CIA Headquarters must use the right lane.
- One lane northbound (toward Maryland/Virginia).
Weekday evening rush hour (2:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.)
- Two lanes northbound (toward Maryland/Virginia).
- Drivers who need to exit at Route 123 or CIA Headquarters must use the right lane.
- One lane southbound (toward DC).
Weekdays (9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.) and weekends
- One lane southbound (toward DC).
- One lane northbound (toward Maryland/Virginia).
For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine’s News newsletter.
