Construction ramping up as I-495 Express Lanes project enters homestretch

Construction ramping up as I-495 Express Lanes project enters

Construction on the new I-495 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia is entering the homestretch, although drivers will have to deal with even more construction and congestion first.

VIRGINIA - Construction on the new I-495 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia is entering the homestretch – although drivers will have to deal with even more construction and congestion first.

What we know:

Construction has already been underway for close to four years on the 495 Next project, which will extend the 495 Express Lanes by two-and-a-half miles from the Dulles Corridor Interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway Interchange near the American Legion Bridge. To this point, work has mostly taken place on the shoulders of the Beltway, officials said, but now, it's shifting.

"Now they are actively working in the middle section or the median area of the Beltway," explained the Virginia Department of Transportation's Michelle Holland.

The shift comes as the amount of construction is expected to increase, and with summer winding down, the amount of traffic already has.

What they're saying:

As a result, officials are urging drivers to be extra alert, announcing the launch of the "Closer Than You Think" safety campaign Wednesday.

The campaign – which will include ads on radio and social media – aims to emphasize to drivers that active roadway construction and hundreds of workers are directly adjacent to the Beltway traffic, according to a press release.

"We want people to use extra caution and just keep that heightened level of awareness up over the next few months," Holland told Fox 5.

What's next:

Crews are expected to work day and night – and often over the weekend – for the next four months. The plan is to open the new express lanes by the end of the year. Other construction associated with the project will continue into 2026.