Mark Gail/WASHINGTON POST - Construction projects around the Capital Beltway, around the District’s 11th Street Bridge and along I-66 are slowing thousands of drivers this summer.
My nominees for the summer’s most difficult work zones in the D.C. area are on interstates. Construction projects around the Capital Beltway, around the District’s 11th Street bridge and along I-66 slow thousands of drivers.
But for commuters, trouble spots are very personal things. The most significant ones are the ones that they drive through, and during the height of the construction season, these are everywhere.
Resources for your commute
If you’d rather get commuter news delivered to your inbox, sign up for e-mail alerts.
So here’s a selection of projects that have been creating some buzz among commuters.
Virginia
Beltway/Springfield. Not all work zones are creating problems for commuters, but for the past few weeks, this paving project has.
On the outer loop just past Springfield, the LOCAL lane section is restricted to a single lane through the end of July for paving. The THRU lanes into Maryland are open.
While traffic volumes decline in the summer, the really serious decline comes in August. So planners on this phase of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project knew going in that this work zone would temporarily increase congestion. Other options, they said, would have extended this final paving for many months.
On the inner loop, paving of the LOCAL section has continued past when project managers had hoped to wrap it up. The recent bad weather slowed progress, they said, but if this weekend’s work proceeds on schedule, the LOCAL lanes should be completely open by Monday morning.
Western Beltway. Drivers frustrated by the delays heading east from Springfield wouldn’t find much joy heading west. Morning traffic toward Tysons Corner has been quite sticky through the long work zone for the 495 Express Lanes.
Drivers will notice sections of nice, new pavement in the middle of the Beltway. No section of the project is scheduled to open until the entire job is done at the end of the year.
I-66 exit ramp. In June, VDOT closed the HOV exit ramp from the left side of I-66 east to the Beltway’s outer loop. This also is part of the 495 Express Lanes project. The exit will be reopened later this year as a combined HOV-3 and 495 Express Lanes ramp.
Dulles Metrorail. Construction of the Silver Line through Tysons Corner and out to Wiehle Avenue is three-quarters done and should be completed next summer.
The last span of the aerial guideway that will carry trains through Tysons Corner is scheduled to be finished Tuesday after a crew lowers 360 tons of pre-cast concrete segments into place along the median of the Dulles Access Highway near Route 7. Meanwhile, stations and pedestrian access pavilions are well underway. Escalators and elevators are being installed. Furthest along is the Wiehle-Reston East station, clearly visible in the median of the highway.
Drivers will continue to encounter some lane closings along routes 7 and 123 and along the Dulles Toll Road corridor.
Nokesville Road bridge. Look for a new traffic pattern at Nokesville and Wellington roads in Manassas, where the Virginia Department of Transportation is building a bridge to take Nokesville Road (Route 28) over Wellington Road and the railroad tracks. The bridge project is scheduled to be done in November.
Transportation tools
This interactive tool estimates the cost of a taxi ride between any two points in the D.C.
Find apartments and homes for rent by their proximity to Metro stations. Use the searchable map brought to you by our Real Estate page.
The Post Most: LocalMost-viewed stories, videos and galleries int he past two hours
Contact us
Robert is Dr. Gridlock, the Post’s commuting columnist and an authority on all things roads and rails.
Ashley covers transportation, including roads and aviation. He is an avid cyclist and triathlete.
Dana covers Metrorail, Metrobus and other transit news. Follow her on Twitter: @postmetrogirl
Loading...
Comments