Plans to add two express lanes from the Springfield Interchange to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge will be discussed in a public hearing next week in Alexandria.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is holding four public hearings starting this week, the last of which will talk about the controversial 11-mile project at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center on Wednesday, June 11. VDOT has been evaluating the project for three years, and groups say that it will create traffic bottlenecks if implemented.
While widening the bridge is not being proposed, VDOT is considering removing concrete barriers between through and local lanes, both of which limit VDOT’s options for express lanes. One of those lanes in each direction could also be used in the future for Metro trains across the bridge and to National Harbor.
VDOT contends that not building the express lanes will result in worse morning traffic, with westbound I-495 peak travel times potentially doubling by 2050 (from 26 to 52 minutes) and eastbound I-495 peak travel times increasing from 21 to 54 minutes.
VDOT’s timeline is below.
