The Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 in McLean will partially close for a full weekend later this month so traffic can be shifted to new lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is advising drivers to avoid the interchange during what it’s calling “Stay-Away Weekend” if they don’t want to get caught up in the congestion that’ll likely be created by the lane reductions and ramp closures.
All travel lanes on the Georgetown Pike Bridge over I-495 in McLean are scheduled to be shifted to a new northern portion of the bridge over the weekend of Aug. 23-26.
“To avoid expected congestion and backups on Georgetown Pike near the Beltway, travelers are urged to stay away from the area and take alternate routes,” VDOT said in a news release. “If travel is necessary, drivers should plan additional time and expect delays. Additionally, drivers affected by the Beltway ramp closures should slow down, use caution and follow the signed detour routes.”
Initially scheduled for Aug. 16-19, the closure got bumped to Aug. 23-26 after recent rainy weather affected advance prepatory work, VDOT announced on Aug. 14.
During the closure, the Georgetown Pike bridge will be reduced from five to two lanes, one in each direction, starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23. All ramps to and from the Capital Beltway (I-495) will close, necessitating detours down to the Route 123 interchange in Tysons.
Georgetown Pike travelers seeking to get onto the Beltway will be diverted onto either Dolley Madison Blvd or Swinks Mill Road, depending on which direction they’re headed. VDOT says there will be “enhanced police presence” throughout the affected area.
According to VDOT, the closures are necessary for construction crews to finish paving, lane markings and other work before traffic shifts onto a newly built northern portion of the bridge, which is being reconfigured as part of the I-495 Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project.
The new bridge will have six lanes and a new, channelized right-turn lane enabling “free flow” of traffic from westbound Georgetown Pike to northbound I-495. Pedestrian improvements include the addition of a 6-and-a-half-foot-wide sidewalk on the bridge’s north side and a trail connection to Scott’s Run Nature Preserve.
“Switching traffic to the new section of the Georgetown Pike Bridge over a one-weekend period shortens the duration of impacts to local traffic,” VDOT said. “The extended work hours over the weekend will enable crews needed time to build up pavement transition areas, where there is an elevation difference ranging from three to six feet.”
The switch-over will be completed by 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26, allowing all lanes and ramps to reopen.
After the northern portion of the bridge opens, crews will start working on the southern portion. The existing bridge must first be demolished before the new lanes are built, a process expected to wrap up in mid-2025. The bridge’s final configuration is slated to open to traffic in late 2025.
Under construction since March 2022, 495 NEXT is widening the Beltway from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons past the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean in order to add two toll lanes in each direction.
In anticipation of the additional lanes, Fairfax Connector will launch bus service between Tysons and Bethesda for the first time sometime this month. However, Fairfax County officials have acknowledged that traffic backups are likely to remain a challenge until the American Legion Bridge is replaced and Maryland widens its side of the Beltway.
VDOT expects to open the extended I-495 Express Lanes in late 2025, with 495 NEXT reaching completion in mid-2026, per the current project schedule.
This story was updated to reflect new dates and times after VDOT rescheduled the bridge closure.
