I-495 express lane project in Northern Virginia almost complete

I-495 express lane project in northern Virginia almost complete

Northern Virginia drivers are almost at the end of what’s been a very long road. A years-long project to extend the I-495 express lanes is almost complete, although, as FOX 5’s Josh Rosenthal explains, that’s not before a little more roadwork tonight.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Northern Virginia drivers are almost at the end of what’s been a very long road. 

A years-long project to extend the I-495 express lanes is almost complete.

What they're saying:

"It makes my commute to work brutal," driver Jack Blumenberg said when asked about the construction. "My hair is gonna be gray by the time they finish." 

Well, it’s not over yet but the Virginia Department of Transportation says most of it will be behind us soon.

"We’re really close," said Michelle Holland with the Virginia Department of Transportation. "We’re excited to be able to get the lanes open and to start to provide some relief and some new choices for travelers."

The backstory:

This work has been ongoing for more than three years.

On Thursday night, there was another traffic shift on southbound I-495 but this one will leave all lanes in their final alignment.

Then, drivers are looking at fewer than three more months of work before VDOT says 2.5 new miles of I-495 express lanes in the Tysons/McLean area will be open by the end of the year.

"They aren’t the only ones just ask commuters like this," Holland said. 

When asked about an end to the construction, Blumenberg told FOX 5 that he "would be ecstatic."

What's next:

While the new express lanes are expected to be up and running by year’s end, there is other work associated with the project that will continue into next year.