VDOT REQUESTING COMMENTS TO EXPRESS LANE ALTERNATIVE BY THURSDAY, JUNE 26 2025

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) held a public hearing in Alexandria on Wednesday, June 11, for the I-495 Southside Express Lanes Study (495 Southside Study).

VDOT presented and is seeking input on its recommended preferred alternative at these public hearings to address identified transportation needs within the 495 Southside Study area. The study area spans approximately 11 miles along the southern section of I-495 from east of the Springfield Interchange (I-95/I-395/I-495) in Virginia to the MD 210 Interchange in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

VDOT’s recommended preferred alternative involves building two new express lanes in each direction (four total) on the 495 Southside Study corridor, as well as new bicycle and pedestrian connections and paths linking Franconia, Alexandria, Huntington, and Oxon Hill. The recommended preferred alternative also includes new express bus service from West Prince George’s County to Tysons if the project were to be delivered as a public-private partnership.

A virtual public information room containing the hearing materials and information, and opportunities to provide comments online, is available now.

The same presentation and information will be provided to the public at all four hearings. Individual questions will be addressed during the open house portion of the hearing, but not during the formal comment session following the presentation. Speakers will be asked to limit their comments to three minutes per person, and one speaker per organization. Additionally, attendees can provide their comments to the court reporter or submit a written comment form.

Other Ways to Provide Comments:
•    Complete the online comment form at www.vdot.virginia.gov/495southside 
•    Email to: 495southsideexpresslanes@vdot.virginia.gov 
•    Submit by mail to:
Michelle Shropshire, P.E.
VDOT Northern Virginia Megaprojects Director
4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
•    Call VDOT at: 703-691-6044 or TTY/TDD 711

All comments must be received by June 26, 2025, to be included in the public hearing report.

Background on the 495 Southside Express Lanes Study:
VDOT’s recommended two express lanes alternative would add capacity to the 495 Southside Study corridor, moving more people, and offering faster and more reliable express lanes travel toll-free for buses and carpools of three or more people, and for drivers who choose to pay a toll. The two express lanes option would also bring a potential funding source for new and expanded transit services and other transportation improvements benefitting the full Virginia-Maryland study corridor. The new express lanes would use existing, unused space on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge previously designated for future HOV, bus transit or rail use, with a commitment by VDOT to convert necessary space to rail transit in the future, if and when the region is poised to expand rail in the corridor. 

After evaluating 10 potential alternatives and conducting detailed analysis of two build alternatives – alongside a required no-build scenario for baseline comparison – VDOT determined that the two express lanes alternative would best address current and future transportation needs along the 495 Southside Corridor. This southern section of the Capital Beltway currently carries approximately 200,000 vehicles per day and experiences recurring traffic congestion and unreliable travel times that could more than double by the year 2050 if improvements are not made. The corridor also lacks robust bicycle and pedestrian connections and offers no fast, reliable mass transit options for east-west travel. 

VDOT began the 495 Southside Study in early 2022 and is conducting an environmental assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The study is in alignment with the region’s Transportation Planning Board’s approved Visualize 2045 Plan “Aspirational Initiatives” to expand the express highway network.  

For the most recent official letters regarding this study:

City Comment Letter to VDOT, June 2025 

Mayor Gaskins Letter to VDOT, April 2025

City Comment Letter to VDOT , April 2025

Transportation Commission Letter to VDOT, April 2025

• VDOT is currently conducting the 495 Southside Express Lanes Environmental Study (495 Southside Study), which involves assessing a potential addition of four lanes to extend the Express Lanes (toll lane) system on I-495 (the Capital Beltway) for 11 miles from the Springfield interchange (I-95/I-395/I-495) across the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, to the MD 210 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Information on the project can be found on the I-495 Southside Express Lane Project Website. The 495 Southside Express Lanes study is included in VDOT’s current Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP), as well as in the National Capital Region's Visualize 2045 Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP).
• Spring 2025: Public information meetings to present findings of traffic/engineering evaluations
  • City letter to VDOT, June 2025
  • Mayor Gaskins Letter to VDOT, April 2025
  • City Comment Letter to VDOT , April 2025
  • Transportation Commission Letter to VDOT, April 2025
• Mid-2025: Public hearing on Environmental Assessment and recommended preferred alternative
• Mid-late 2025: Regional transportation planning board vote on inclusion in Visualize 2050 plan
• In October 2023, the city provided input to VDOT on the first phase of the study and included concerns heard from the community at the various public meetings. Some of the feedback that was provided included:
  • The criteria provided, including continuity of the Express Lane system, seem to bias the selection of alternatives towards those that include new Express Lanes, rather than those that prioritize transit and transportation demand management measures.
  • Additional lanes may lead to additional demand on; therefore, increased traffic on the facility overtime.
  • Express Lane options could add constraints on providing new transit, specifically Metrorail lines on this corridor and across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the future.
• To help inform VDOT's study, noted above, the Virginia Department of Trail and Public Transit (DRPT) conducted a study to identify a range of current and future multimodal solutions that could be implemented to reduce congestion, improve trip reliability and regional connections, and enhance existing and planned multimodal mobility and connectivity in the study area with a potentially expanded Express Lanes system. There are no plans to fund any transit improvements from this study. 

Transurban, the company that is building and managing the I-395 Express Lanes project, informed the City of Alexandria and VDOT in October 2018 that it would like to analyze the possibility of opening the south-facing ramp at the Seminary Road exit for high occupancy toll (HOT) paying vehicles. The south-facing ramp, opened in early 2016, was planned to remain restricted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) and transit traffic traveling north in the morning and south in the evening, even after completion of the I-395 Express Lanes. The existing north-facing ramp (serving traffic going to and from points north, in the mornings and evenings respectively) was always planned to serve HOV, transit and HOT paying vehicles as a part of the I-395 Express Lanes project. City of Alexandria Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) staff is coordinating with Transurban and VDOT on an analysis (to be conducted by Transurban) of the forecasted traffic changes that could occur from the proposed change. 

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the project was put on hold in 2020.  In November 2021, VDOT and Transurban notified staff that they planned to move forward with this project.  For more information, read the Memo to City Council that was distributed on November 16.  On January 12, 2022 the Commonwealth Transportation Board took action to designate the current HOV only ramps as HOT with HOV-3 occupancy, consistent with the 395 Express Lanes. 

In 20191, VDOT conducted a study to assess safety and operational improvements at the I-395 Shirlington interchange (Exit 6), as well as at the following:

• Ramp from South Glebe Road (Route 120) to southbound I-395.
• Intersection of South Shirlington Road and South Arlington Mill Drive.
• Intersection of Gunston Road and Martha Custis Drive.

VDOT released a final report with recommendations in 2020. In 2024, the NVTA applied to the state for funding to implement improvements on behalf of the City of Alexandria and Arlington County.  

This STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study is assessing potential safety, operational, transit and bicycle/pedestrian improvements along the two-and-a-half mile stretch of South Van Dorn Street (Route 613) between Telegraph Road (Route 611) and the Alexandria city limits.  

The study team will solicit public input regarding corridor priorities during the first round of public involvement in Winter/Spring 2025. This feedback will be used to help develop potential alternatives that will be evaluated and presented during the second round of public involvement scheduled later in the year.