A $3.7 billion construction project designed to widen I-66 and add new express lanes is drawing to a close, an on-time completion for a historically large initiative that kicked off five years ago.
The heavily congested, 22.5-mile highway will soon see some relief in the form of the addition of high-occupancy toll, or HOT, lanes that run from Gainesville to the Beltway, the Washington Post reported.
As part of the new traffic pattern, which is expected to be fully operational in December, three non-toll lanes will continue to operate on both sides of the highway, which will be joined, on both eastbound and westbound sides, by two HOT lanes that will connect with the peak-direction toll lanes that were unveiled in 2017.
“We have billions of dollars’ worth of work, and we’re delivering it on time, with everybody working very hard together in some very unusual times,” Susan Shaw, VDOT’s director of megaprojects, told the Post.
Motorists will still be able to select between the three free lanes or the new HOT lanes, which will adjust in price based on traffic conditions while remaining free for motorcyclists, buses, and carpoolers.
One significant change, however, is the addition of a second passenger — a total of three in the vehicle — that will be needed to qualify for the free high-occupancy vehicle rules. Just one passenger was needed in the previous criteria.
The first phase of the project’s rolling launch will begin to be operational on August 25, when a new ramp and bridge will usher motorists between I-66 and the Capital Beltway. Traffic patterns are expected to evolve as new sections open.
A total of 63 bridges and overpasses and 12 interchanges have been included in the construction project, the Post reported.
Feature image, roza/stock.adobe.com
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