Thursday, April 4, 2013
A special promotion is in effect Saturday and Sunday to encourage travelers to try out the new express lanes.
Sick of the gridlock around the Beltway? Drivers this weekend can use the Interstate 495 Beltway Express Lanes for free — no E-ZPass required. The free weekend, April 6 and 7, is part of an educational campaign to encourage Beltway drivers to try the new travel option on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway and see how the Express Lanes can work for them, according to the 495 Express Lanes project. In addition to two days of free travel, the Express Lanes will also lift the E-ZPass requirement. Drivers can travel on the Express Lanes with or without an E-ZPass and will not be charged a toll. At all other times, drivers are required to travel with an E-ZPass; carpoolers must have an E-ZPass Flex. Free Express Lanes travel is only …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Department says new technology will allow officials to track plows, redirect them to emergencies this winter.
When its snows in Northern Virginia this winter, the Virginia Department of Transportation says it's ready to meet it head-on, with a $55 million budget and new resources, including technology that allows for more efficient plowing and an increased road-salt supply. At a briefing about the department's winter preparedness plans Wednesday in Fairfax, Branco Vlacich, VDOT’s Northern Virginia maintenance engineer, said 4,000 trucks would be available to plow snow and keep roads clear this winter — 1,000 more trucks than VDOT had during the harsh winter of 2010. About 2,200 of the 4,000 trucks will be equipped with Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology, enabling officials to locate plow trucks are and deploy them to the nearest emergency …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Dranesville District supervisor John Foust says county was better prepared to handle Sandy.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust's McLean home has no power Tuesday morning, but he is praising Fairfax County, the Virginia Department of Transportation and Dominion for improving response times to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the East Coast on Monday evening. He said the response is markedly better than the response to the June 29 derecho, which knocked out power to hundreds of thousands in the D.C. metro region. "I think the response has been significantly better than after the derecho - the preparation and the response," Foust said. Communicating storm-related information with the public and warning residents about dangers was drastically better, too, he said. "The county has done an outstanding job getting out statuses and …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Beulah Bridge repairs may affect your drive.
Dulles Toll Road drivers should expect alternating lane closures and a total closure of up to 20 minutes eastbound on the Dulles Toll Road Route near Beulah Road as crews remove a beam from the bridge Thursday night, VDOT announced. Lane closures will begin at 9 p.m. The complete road closure will take place after midnight and all closures should be lifted by 5 a.m. The closures are part of VDOT’s project to rehabilitate the Beulah Road bridge.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Officials briefed news media Wednesday on Beltway toll Express Lanes construction.
The I-495 Express Lanes are in the final phase of construction and should be operational by late fall 2012, officials said during a news briefing Wednesday morning. The lanes, which have been undergoing testing for the last couple of months, will bring faster, easier and pricier trips to commuters, but they’ll also bring major traffic changes. “This is the biggest single traffic change for this region since the opening of I-66 30 years ago,” said Jennifer Aument, vice president of Transurban-Fluor, the company building the lanes. “So all drivers, whether they plan to use the Express Lanes or not, need to be alert and be prepared.” Aument urged travelers to purchase their E-ZPass Flex transponders and learn as much as they can about the …
Friday, August 24, 2012
Expect delays of 30 minutes or more as the Virginia Department of Transportation blocks off multiple I-66W lanes in phases starting at 9 p.m. Friday.
Motorists may want to consider avoiding I-66 west at I-495 this weekend as construction crews will be closing lanes and diverting traffic. The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to block off multiple I-66W lanes in phases starting at 9 p.m. Friday. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday. Here's what you need to know: Expect traffic delays of 30 minutes or more.
Friday, August 10, 2012
The road will be paved as part of the ongoing interchange project at the Fair Lakes and Fairfax County Parkways.
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Friday, August 10, 2012
From 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10 through 4 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13, the ramps from eastbound and westbound I-66 to southbound Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) will be closed for paving as part of the ongoing interchange project at Fair Lakes and Fairfax County Parkway. The following signed detours will direct drivers: From westbound I-66: Route 29 (Exit 52) north to access the Fairfax County Parkway. See a map of the route. From eastbound I-66: Route 50 west (Exit 57B) to southbound West Ox Road (Route 608) to the Fairfax County Parkway. See a map of the detour route. Drivers may also take the northbound Fairfax County Parkway (Exit 55), turn right on Fair Lakes Parkway, and right on West Ox Road back to the Fairfax County Parkway. Click here …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
E-ZPass transponders are now available at AAA Mid-Atlantic locations throughout the region.
- NEWS
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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
AAA Mid-Atlantic retail locations are now selling E-ZPass Flex transponders throughout the region. The Flex transponders will be needed for drivers to travel in the I-495 Express Lanes for free. The new toll road will open in late 2012 and the Virginia Department of Transportation announced that carpool participants and drivers can pick up an E-ZPass at 13 area AAA Mid-Atlantic locations. VDOT is expanding its distribution work for E-ZPasses because it expects the number of users to double in the next few years. The nearest AAA Mid-Atlantic retail location where E-ZPass transponders can be obtained is at AAA Landsdowne, 19317 Winmeade Dr., Suite N109-110, Landsdowne, VA 20176. For more information availability of E-ZPass Flex …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
New transponder switches between toll-free and toll-paying mode for the 495 HOT Lanes.
Virginia Department of Transportation officials announced Wednesday the launch of the EZ-Pass Flex transponder, a device that will allow high-occupancy vehicles to ride for free when the 495 Express Lanes open later this year. The beltway express lanes, which will run from the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) exit to the I-95/395/495 interchange (the “mixing bowl”) will be free for all vehicles with three or more occupants. All drivers will need an EZ-Pass transponder to use the lanes. Drivers wishing to take advantage of the HOV toll-free option will have to purchase an EZ-Pass Flex. “Carpooling is an important priority in the commonwealth of Virginia,” said Charles Kilpatrick, VDOT’s chief deputy commissioner, encouraging all commuters who …
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Public comments accepted on proposal through June 12.
A proposal under consideration by the Virginia Department of Transportation would assess a monthly fee for E-ZPass users of about $1 per transponder. E-ZPass is the system that allows drivers to pass through toll plazas more quickly by carrying transponders that automatically charge tolls to a registered account. VDOT has proposed the fee to help defray administrative and operations costs within the state for the service. Most of the E-ZPass toll facilities are not operated by VDOT. The program has grown significantly over the years and will be part of new toll services opening during the next few years. The proposed monthly fee would cover costs for: The fee—which would be reevaluated on a regular basis—would also help control costs and …
Don Frickel
12:38 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Don't forget Timberly which usually waits the longest for restoration (Crossover and Old Gate). more ›