Traffic on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean might be even more stop-and-start than usual for the next few weeks, though the latest lane closures will at least happen outside rush hours.
Starting tonight (Monday), three northbound and southbound lanes of I-495 will close overnight between the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Dulles Toll Road interchange to accommodate construction work on a new Old Dominion Drive bridge, the Virginia Department of Transportation recently announced.
The lane closures will take place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Mondays through Saturdays into early September, VDOT says. Between midnight and 5 a.m., each closure period will include “brief total stoppages” that could last up to 30 minutes.
“These closures and stoppages are necessary for crews to install concrete girders for the new Old Dominion Drive Bridge, perform pavement inspections and work on overhead sign structures within the project corridor,” VDOT said in a press release.
In addition, Old Dominion Drive will be limited to a single lane between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Mondays through Saturdays with construction crew flaggers present to direct traffic. The flagging operation will help crews set concrete girders on the new replacement bridge that’s being built as part of the I-495 Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project.
The lane closures will be put on hold this Friday through Saturday (Aug. 23-25), when lanes and ramps on the Georgetown Pike bridge over I-495 are scheduled to close so traffic can be shifted to a new bridge.
Dubbed “Stay Away” weekend by VDOT, the Georgetown Pike closures were originally scheduled to occur this past weekend but got delayed by inclement weather.
“Drivers are urged to use caution and expect potential delays if traveling through this area,” VDOT said. “All work is dependent on weather and other factors, and may be rescheduled.”
Under construction since March 2022, 495 NEXT is extending the I-495 Express Lanes approximately 3 miles from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons toward the American Legion Bridge past the GW Parkway in McLean.
The new toll lanes are scheduled to open in late 2025, enabling the overall project to finish in mid-2026, according to VDOT’s schedule. The new Old Dominion Drive bridge will include two travel lanes and a 14-foot-wide shared-use path on the south side for pedestrians and bicyclists, while the new Georgetown Pike bridge will have six lanes with a 6.5-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side.
