Utility work will require nighttime traffic stops on I-495 in McLean next week

(Updated at 11:05 a.m. on 8/7/2023) Traffic on the Capital Beltway will be periodically stopped overnight at Georgetown Pike in the latter half of next week.

Lasting up to 30 minutes at a time, the stoppages are required to enable crews to relocate utilities at the interchange as part of the 495 NEXT project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The stoppages will occur between midnight and 5 a.m. next Wednesday through Saturday (Aug. 9-12). In between each stoppage, one lane in each direction will temporarily reopen so traffic can be cleared.

(Correction: Due to a typo, this story initially said the stoppages would last until 5 p.m. instead of 5 a.m.)

“In the event of inclement weather, the stoppages and associated work will be postponed to the following night,” VDOT said. “Travelers should anticipate delays and consider taking an alternate route.”

Under construction since March 2022, the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension project is extending the Beltway’s toll lanes 2.5 miles north from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.

Earlier this year, McLean residents with the Northern Virginia Citizens Association sought to halt construction with a lawsuit challenging the project over its reported impacts on their health, neighborhoods and the environment.

A federal judge ruled on April 7 that work could continue during the litigation.

VDOT anticipates opening the extended express lanes in late 2025 and completing the full project in 2026.

“Drivers are urged to slow down and use caution when traveling through the 495 NEXT work zone,” VDOT said.