By Peter Pae
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 30, 1998; Page D08

The massive reconstruction of the Springfield interchange on Shirley Highway, which was expected to take up to 12 years, will be completed several years sooner, Virginia transportation officials said yesterday.

State officials had predicted that it would take eight to 12 years to complete the $350 million highway project, the largest and most complex ever attempted in Northern Virginia.

But Virginia highway officials said yesterday that the state received additional federal funding to begin work on parts of the interchange sooner than anticipated, advancing the expected completion of the project by four to six years.

"It's in response to people's concern that it was taking too long," said Joan Morris, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. The previous timetable "scared a lot of people," she said.

The latest projections for improving the interchange came as state officials released preliminary results of a survey that found at least a third of commuters who drive alone would consider other ways to get around the extra congestion expected because of the construction.

But the survey also found that a majority would prefer carpooling over alternatives such as bus or rail service, raising concerns that congestion would increase in the carpool lanes.

Known as the Mixing Bowl, the interchange connects the Capital Beltway, Interstate 95 and I-395 and is considered one of the busiest in the country. The construction project, which is scheduled to begin early next year, includes building or reconfiguring more than 40 bridges and flyover ramps, as well as 21 traffic lanes. The interchange must remain open because I-95 is a major thoroughfare for the East Coast's north-south traffic.

The survey of about 1,500 commuters who live along I-95 south of Washington was conducted in the spring to help transportation officials figure out ways to keep cars out of the busy interchange during construction.

State highway officials are predicting massive disruptions at the interchange, unless 2,500 cars, or about 10 percent of the current traffic volume, can be diverted during the morning and evening rush hours.

While state and local officials said they were encouraged by the response of commuters who said they would be willing to try other means of transportation, some survey findings suggest that many commuters were not aware of the potential impact of the interchange work.

Although highway engineers said commutes could be lengthened by up to an hour each way during the construction, most of the survey respondents predicted their delays would be less than 30 minutes.

In addition, nearly 60 percent of the respondents said they would leave home or work earlier than before in response to potential delays.

"People haven't yet grasped the magnitude of the delays that will come with the interchange construction," said Matt Benka, spokesman for Virginia Railway Express. "There is still a lot of educating to be done."

The survey also looked at whether incentives would persuade motorists to forsake their cars during the project. It found that commuters were more likely to go along with that idea if they were told that taking a bus or car pool would save time, rather than if they were told that driving a car would mean a 30-minute delay.

Highway officials said the results will be used to develop a traffic plan that may include reducing fares on buses and commuter trains, as well as creating more commuter parking lots.