New I-66 West ramp to alter Nutley Street traffic, starting Wednesday

Updated at 1:15 p.m. — Work on the temporary Nutley Street ramp to I-66 West has been delayed. It will now be conducted overnight from Wednesday into Thursday (April 13-14), VDOT says.

Drivers who use Nutley Street near the Vienna Metro station will need to adjust to yet another new traffic pattern, starting tomorrow (Wednesday).

A new, temporary ramp to I-66 West is expected to open, bringing with it new turn lanes and a new traffic signal for both northbound and southbound drivers.

“This temporary traffic change is anticipated to be in place through July 2022 while construction of the redesigned Nutley Street and I-66 Interchange continues as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project,” Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release on Friday (April 8).

The shift will require multiple overnight ramp closures tonight (Tuesday) into early tomorrow morning:

Ramp from Nutley Street North to I-66 West

• The ramp will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Traffic will be directed to continue north, stay to the left and make a U-turn from the left-most left turn lane at the traffic signal at Virginia Center Boulevard onto southbound Nutley Street, then follow signs to I-66 West.

Ramps from I-66 West to Nutley Street North and South

• The ramp will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Traffic will be directed farther west to the exit to Vienna/Fairfax/GMU Station, stay to the right onto Country Creek Road, continue onto Virginia Center Boulevard, then at the traffic signal turn left to northbound Nutley Street or turn right to southbound Nutley Street.

In addition, the right lane on Nutley Street North and South will be closed from 9 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow between Virginia Center Boulevard and Saintsbury Drive.

The construction work is weather-dependent and could be rescheduled if there’s rain or other inclement conditions.

With the current ramps from Nutley Street to I-66 West closing, here’s how traffic will function with the new temporary ramp, per VDOT:

• From southbound Nutley Street, drivers will access I-66 West by turning left at the traffic signal onto a new ramp that will merge into the current loop ramp from northbound Nutley Street to I-66 West.
• From northbound Nutley Street, drivers will access I-66 West by continuing a short distance beyond the current entrance to the loop ramp to I-66 West, then turning right at the traffic signal to reach the loop ramp.
• Drivers traveling from northbound Nutley Street to westbound I-66 should be alert for southbound Nutley Street traffic merging onto the ramp from the left.
• Two travel lanes will continue on north- and southbound Nutley Street through the interchange.

Commuters will see a payoff from the frequently changing traffic patterns later this year, when the new Nutley Street interchange is expected to open, along with the new I-66 Express Lanes, which are being extended from I-495 in Dunn Loring to Gainesville.

“When construction is complete, the new Nutley Street Interchange will feature two roundabouts, which will provide safer and more efficient travel for vehicles entering and exiting I-66, and improve safety for vehicles and pedestrians traveling on Nutley Street,” VDOT said.