Construction is getting underway on a partial revamp of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Route 123 (Dolley Madison Blvd) interchange in McLean.
The ramps that connect southbound GW Parkway to westbound Route 123 and vice versa has closed starting today (Monday) so that work can begin on two new ramps, the National Park Service (NPS) announced last week.
The existing ramps will be demolished, with the new ramps expected to open in mid-September. The construction work will also involve extending the acceleration and deceleration lanes to make it safer to merge when getting on and off the parkway, the NPS said.
During the closure period, drivers will have to take detours, according to a press release:
Southbound GWMP to westbound Route 123: Motorists should continue southbound on GWMP to eastbound Route 123 and make a U-turn to access westbound Route 123.
Westbound Route 123 to southbound GWMP: Motorists should continue westbound on Route 123, make a U-turn at Merchant Lane, and proceed to southbound GWMP.
The reconfigured interchange opening in September will feature a GW Parkway/Route 123 intersection east of Pine Tree Road as well as a new ramp for all traffic heading from Route 123 to the southbound parkway.
According to the NPS, the new ramp will allow right turns from southbound GW Parkway onto westbound Route 123. A temporary stop sign will be installed on Route 123 at the intersection until a planned traffic signal becomes operational.
“The northbound GWMP exit ramps to eastbound and westbound Route 123 will remain as is,” the park service said. “Additional improvements at this intersection include addressing drainage, pavement markings, and curbs.”
The redesign is part of an ongoing rehabilitation of the GW Parkway’s northern section from the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean to Sprout Run Parkway in Arlington, a $161 million project that has been under construction since the summer of 2021.
The first major attempt to update the 7.6-mile stretch of roadway since it was built in the 1960s, the project also involves new asphalt paving, stormwater management system repairs, extended entrance and exit lanes, reconstructions of stone walls and roadside barriers, and improvements to the overlooks and views along the parkway.
Traffic on the GW Parkway will also continue to be affected by the Virginia Department of Transportation’s extension of the I-495 Express Lanes. Starting this week, the parkway will have only one available southbound lane at the I-495 interchange until work to extend a northbound ramp from the Beltway is completed in mid-September.
