Update — With rain in the forecast for this weekend, the traffic shift for northbound I-495 has been postponed to the night of May 9 through the morning of May 10, VDOT says.
Earlier: Traffic on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in the Tysons area will start moving to newly constructed lanes on the outer side of the highway tomorrow (Friday).
The work is part of the 495 NEXT project to extend the I-495 Express Lanes north from the Dulles Toll Road past the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchange in McLean, just short of the American Legion Bridge.
Under construction since 2022, the new toll lanes are slated to open later in the year.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will realign approximately 2 miles of the Beltway’s four northbound (Inner Loop) general-purpose lanes during overnight hours on May 2 and 3. In case of inclement weather, the work will be postponed until May 9-10.
Southbound (Outer Loop) I-495 lanes are slated to be shifted in late May or early June, VDOT officials said.
“These important traffic shifts will enable crews to access the center portion of the Beltway to build the new 495 Express Lanes,” they said.
The Inner Loop shift will start with the closure of one lane from just south of Old Dominion Drive to the GW Parkway at 8 p.m. this Friday. Two additional lanes from Lewinsville Road to the Parkway will close at 9 p.m.
Though one lane will remain open to traffic, intermittent total stoppages and slow-roll traffic operations are expected to occur between midnight and 5 a.m., VDOT said, noting that police will be on hand to help direct motorists.
In addition, the on-ramp from the westbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) to I-495 North will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday (May 3).
“Affected drivers will be detoured to southbound Route 123 (Exit 19A) to access northbound I-495 toward Rockville/Baltimore,” VDOT said.
Lanes will begin to reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 3. All four northbound lanes should be open and in their new alignment by 10 a.m., according to VDOT.
A similar process will be implemented to shift southbound traffic to new general-purpose lanes. Once all lanes are shifted, crews will mobilize and begin working in the center of the highway to construct the new express lanes.
VDOT says construction activities will include:
- Demolishing old piers in the highway median for the replaced bridges at Live Oak Drive, Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive
- Constructing new ramps
- Demolishing retired center lane pavement
- Installing new stormwater drainage
- Installing new tolling and traffic management system infrastructure
- Building the foundation, paving and striping the new express lanes
VDOT urged drivers to exercise caution during construction:
“Motorists are urged to slow down, eliminate distractions and drive with heightened caution as they acclimate to the newly aligned Beltway lanes, and as work ramps up in the center area of the roadway. As construction continues in this portion of I-495, travelers should expect narrowed lanes and shoulders, traffic pattern adjustments and lane closures during non-peak travel times.”
Traffic shift also planned to new ramp
Outer Loop drivers will also need to watch out for changes tonight (Thursday) at the exit to Georgetown Pike, where traffic on the Exit 44 collector road will be shifted to a new ramp that opened just after the exit for the GW Parkway on April 18.
The shift will be implemented starting at 9:30 p.m. today and continue until 5 a.m. tomorrow, according to VDOT:
- The ramp from the southbound I-495 collector road to Georgetown Pike (Exit 44) will be closed. Motorists will be directed to continue south on the I-495 general purpose lanes to Exit 46B for northbound Route 123, then take the exit for northbound I-495 to return to Georgetown Pike via Exit 44.
- The ramp from northwest GWMP to southbound I-495 will be closed. Motorists will be directed to northbound I-495 toward Maryland, then take Exit 41 for westbound Clara Barton Parkway, then use the exit to Carderock to turn back onto eastbound Clara Barton Parkway and finally merge onto southbound I-495 toward Virginia.
The new configuration will make it easier for drivers to merge on and off the Beltway, while accommodating the highway’s widening for the expanded toll lanes, VDOT says.
In addition to extending the existing I-495 toll lanes by approximately 3 miles, the 495 NEXT project will bring a new bicycle and pedestrian trail and a new landscaped parking area for the Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. Those elements are scheduled to be completed in mid-2026.
