Not many would question assertions that the stretch of I-95 between the Beltway and Fredericksburg is one of the most abysmal segments of roadway in the greater Washington area.
Express lanes that only go in the direction of rush hour are seldom of any assistance when, much to the chagrin of area drivers, “rush hour” on the aforementioned stretch applies to both directions throughout the greater part of each day.
The makeup of the I-95 express lanes has drawn the ire of many, including Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, who, at a recent event hosted by the Dulles Area Transportation Association, said the lanes “should have never been built that way in the first place,” reported NBC Washington.
“They should have been built like the Beltway and like I-66,” McKay said, “and to me, the first thing we should be doing is pressing to get those express lanes going in both directions all day, every day.”
The issue has reportedly gained some traction, with McKay noting that county officials are “pressing hard to reconsider the Express Lanes on 95 and build them properly.”
McKay’s Prince William County counterpart, Board Chairman Ann Wheeler, echoed the desire to relieve the historically congested roadway.
“There is gonna be some focus on that I-95 corridor,” Wheeler said at the event. “Really has to be. … I drive by often and see stopped traffic going the other way.”
Whether multidirectional express lanes would require road widening, versus transforming the existing express lanes into continual north and south options, remains to be seen.
Officials from the current express lane operating agency, Transurban, acknowledged the discussion in a statement, saying they are “committed to continue working in partnership with Virginia to advance mobility improvements along the I-95 corridor that deliver congestion relief.”
Feature image courtesy FAM Construction
For more stories like this, subscribe to our News newsletter.
