Updated 5/22/2019 — A new plan could widen the Beltway in McLean, but nearby residents say the plan won’t do anything to fix the bottleneck of traffic.
At a meeting in Cooper Middle School (977 Balls Hill Road) yesterday (May 20), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) presented plans to add new toll lanes from the Dulles Toll Road to the American Legion Bridge to help alleviate a severe bottleneck in the region.
The plans for the toll roads have been in the works since last June, but the need for a solution to Beltway congestion was highlighted in March when a tanker crash paralyzed regional traffic.
VDOT’s plans call for the expansion of express lanes to the bridge and connections with the Dulles Toll Road. A connection to the George Washington Parkway is being considered, but options are included to not have the express lanes connect to the parkway.
VDOT officials said the three bridges in McLean that pass over the Beltway would be replaced and would include new pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
But for over an hour, McLean residents expressed outrage at the expansion of the Beltway and a perception that the decision had already been made behind closed doors. Residents who felt empowered by a recent rejection of a proposal to limit access to Georgetown Pike from McLean — a proposal that new state legislation means could come back — asked why this expansion was being treated as a done deal.
“[That] was a transportation solution for a neighborhood problem,” Susan Shaw, megaprojects director for VDOT, said at the meeting. “This project is a regional transportation project. We will consider input from communities, but we will also be considering transportation improvements for the region. If we only let direct impact communities decide — we would never provide any regional project.
One of the biggest criticisms — raised by State Senate candidate Nicole Merlene running against Barbara Favola — was that the success of the project seemed dependent on the expansion of the bridge and connection to toll roads on the Maryland side, projects that are still in early stages.
Shaw said that no traffic analysis was ready yet to show the impact of the toll lanes without improvements on the Maryland side, but she said that would be considered before final approval.
“We don’t have that traffic analysis yet, but I would expect there to be a bottleneck without increased capacity on the bridge,” said Shaw. “I think the question is, ‘Are there other improvements that we would see on this project? If there’s a period of time where Virginia is in on this project and Maryland is not, are there transportation benefits?’ That will be included in the assessment.”
Lane closures are expected around Vienna this week as part of the I-66 Outside the Beltway Project.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, crews will continue corridor-wide roadway maintenance this week with multi-lane closures along I-66 including stretches near the Dunn Loring Metro station and the Beltway interchange.
On Friday (May 17), I-66 is expected to have lane closures from the Beltway to Nutley Street in Vienna. Three lanes will be closed on the westbound side from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. to implement long-term lane shifts. At the Nutley Street intersection, repaving work is also planned for the median.
VDOT estimates an extra 20-minutes of stoppages, and slowdowns should be expected.
Photo via VDOT
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) An accident on the Beltway just north of Tysons has northbound traffic cut down to just 1-2 lanes as crews work to contain a large diesel spill.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. just north of the Dulles Toll Road.
Fairfax Fire and Rescue says the spill came from a saddle tank of an 18-wheeler box truck. Hazmat crews have contained the spill, but three lanes remain closed.
Traffic along the northbound HOT lanes is not affected. Video from the overhead (below) shows heavy traffic building prior to the accident scene. Congestion is backed up for northbound I-495 at least to Leesburg Pike.
The incident conjures fresh memories of last week’s tanker crash that shut down traffic on the Beltway for hours, though so far traffic has been able to squeeze by on the lefthand side of the highway’s main lanes.
UPDATE I-495 NB Prior to Georgetown Pike: Leak contained. Fuel does not appear to have entered nearby creek. Units are going back in service. Will be opening up the one lane still closed shortly. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty #traffic #vatraffic pic.twitter.com/EgGkg5SUSt
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/EstherYuHsiLee/status/1113500726653857795
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) Traffic in the Tysons and McLean areas is extraordinarily heavy due to the tanker truck crash on the Beltway.
With the Inner Loop completely blocked before the American Legion Bridge — and the closure and hazmat cleanup expected to continue for hours — traffic is spilling onto other local arteries and bridges.
(As of 3:45 p.m., a single lane of the Inner Loop had been temporarily opened to allow some traffic through.)
A solid line of very heavy traffic has been reported on eastbound Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) from downtown McLean to Chain Bridge, which is also jammed. Arlington County Police have been called to the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and N. Glebe Road to assist with gridlocked traffic.
Elsewhere in McLean, Route 193 (Georgetown Pike) is a virtual parking lot between the Beltway and Route 123. The northbound GW Parkway exit to the Inner Loop is closed, following an earlier, complete closure from Route 123 to the Beltway. And in Arlington, police are responding to reports of very heavy traffic in Rosslyn approaching the Key Bridge.
The Inner Loop itself, meanwhile, is a solid line of slow-to-stopped traffic from Merrifield to the crash scene. VDOT is advising motorists to avoid it altogether.
Folks, do not attempt to get on the Inner Loop at this time. Period. And if a responder is behind you, find a way to move. Period. Your National Capital Region responders are amazing, but they need to get there in order to help. https://t.co/PljWNJgC2L
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
Virginia State Police say they’ve deployed additional resources to the area to help with traffic control. Drivers should “plan ahead for detours and delays,” VSP said in a press release, which notes that charges are pending in connection to the crash.
At 1:52 p.m. Thursday (March 28), Virginia State Police responded to a crash involving an overturned tanker truck. The crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-495 at the American Legion Bridge. Another vehicle struck the tanker truck as it overturned in the roadway. Neither the driver of the truck nor other vehicle was injured.
The tanker is loaded with approximately 8,500 gallons of fuel, which must be unloaded/pumped into another tanker before the overturned vehicle can be brought upright and removed from the scene.
Additional Virginia State Police resources have responded to the scene and manage traffic control. VSP is working with VDOT, U.S. Park Police, and Fairfax County Police to detour and redirect travel throughout the area. Motorists are advised to avoid the Inner Loop, northbound I-495 Express Lanes and the northbound lanes of the American Legion Bridge through evening rush hour.
The crash remains under investigation. Charges are pending.
More via social media:
This is a first for us (and a career highlight)— we’re enroute with 2 of our Incident Management Coordinators (1 is already there) to the overturned tanker at the AL Bridge with two of our spill support trailers. Let’s talk about Traffic Incident Management! pic.twitter.com/fkVxHtKhHq
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
INCIDENT: Traffic Delays
LOCATION: National Capital Region
IMPACT: A major accident has occurred NB I495 at the American Legion Bridge in Fairfax County. Expect delays and heavy traffic in the region throughout rush hour. pic.twitter.com/OO0E2gWp3e— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) March 28, 2019
Update at 3:55 p.m. — Tow crews are on scene and one far left lane is now temporarily squeezing by the crash, but VDOT says it will soon completely close the highway again. The closure, which is expected to last throughout the rush hour, is causing serious traffic issues across the area.
The Inner Loop of the Beltway is closed for an extended period of time due to a truck crash prior to the American Legion Bridge.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue say the tanker truck, which overturned on northbound I-495 near the Great Falls exit, is “actively leaking” 8,500 gallons of hazardous fluid, initially reported to be fuel.
Hazmat crews are “aggressively” working to contain the leak, but the Inner Loop is expected to remain closed for at least two hours and possibly longer, well into the evening rush hour.
Only one minor injury was reported.
The crash was caught on a dashcam, per a video posted on social media.
https://twitter.com/LAMillennium/status/1111345425087385601
More from social media:
UPDATE HAZ MAT incident: tanker contains 8500 gallons of product and is activitely leaking. Crews are working aggressively to contain the product and stabilize the incident. #FCFRD https://t.co/jKui9rMAH4
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 28, 2019
Update: ALL Inner Loop lanes are now closed at the American Legion Bridge. Pls use an alternate route. https://t.co/O13MnmKihO
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
Multiple vehicles involved, across all five lanes of the inner loop at the Legion Bridge, the tanker truck cab is over the jersey wall, northbound 495 is CLOSED #breakingnews #mdtraffic #vatraffic @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/FbONV99KoX
— ʙʀᴀᴅ ꜰʀᴇɪᴛᴀꜱ (@Chopper4Brad) March 28, 2019
The left lane of the Inner Loop is only temporarily open in order to flush the queue through. Pls assume the American Legion bridge will be closed thru rush hour. Plan accordingly! pic.twitter.com/6wOmMbYmuH
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
UPDATE HAZ MAT incident I495 NB. Driver of the truck not injured. One minor injury from one of cars. #FCFRD #traffic pic.twitter.com/kTLUzFuioY
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 28, 2019
The Jones Branch Connector is coming along, though construction has necessitated a series of weekend closures over the last few weeks.
A video put together by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) laid out the goals of the Jones Branch Connector and a look at what’s ahead for the project.
MT @VaDOTNOVA: Check out the latest on the Jones Branch Connector project in Tysons! When complete, each direction will have 2 travel lanes, bike lane, multi-use path & wide median for future transit. @fairfaxcounty @VAExpressLanes @tysonspartners pic.twitter.com/PVLrSbFafe
— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) March 18, 2019
The project first had a partial opening in December — with one lane of traffic opening in each direction — giving drivers a preview of the bridge that will connect east and west Tysons. According to the video, new bike lanes and sidewalks are planned to open sometime in the spring and a second lane opening in each direction.
“VDOT and Fairfax County have really partnered together to improve transportation in Tysons,” William Cuttler, a VDOT engineer, said in the video. “This $60 million project is going to go a long way to provide multimodal connections and helping to transform this city.”
Cuttler said the connection will aim to not only benefit drivers looking to cross over the Beltway, but also offer residents of western Tysons quicker access to the McLean Metro station at the east end of the bridge.
“Currently the Beltway operates as almost a barrier between the east side of Tysons and the west side,” Tom Biesiadny, director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, said in the video, “so building additional connection across the Beltway is really important.”
Mike McGurk, from Transurban corporate relations, said the Jones Branch Connector would also help the accessibility of the I-495 Express Lanes.
The project is expected to be completed this fall.
Photo via VDOT
The partially open Jones Branch Connector will be completely closed this weekend — now the second weekend in a row for the closure — to facilitate some additional bridge work.
According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT):
- The southbound 495 express lanes between the Jones Branch Connector off-ramp and the Jones Branch Connector on-ramp
- The eastbound Dulles Toll Road ramp to southbound 495 express lanes
- Eastbound and westbound lanes of the Jones Branch Connector between Jones Branch Drive and the 495 express lanes.
Like last week, VDOT says if the weather cooperates, the closure is scheduled to run from Saturday (March 9) at 5 a.m. to Monday (March 11) at 4 a.m.
The closure is to allow crews to continue working on the bridge deck, and further closures may be on the horizon.
“Following the closures this weekend, a few more weekend closures will be necessary in order to construct the new parts of the bridge,” VDOT staff said in an email. “We will send out traffic alerts for those future weekend closures once those dates are confirmed, before they’re scheduled to occur.”
Image via VDOT
A vehicle was fully engulfed by flames on the Beltway near Tysons Monday morning.
The fire was reported around 10:45 a.m., on the Outer Loop near I-66 and Tysons, according to WTOP Traffic.
Traffic camera images show two left-hand lanes of the Beltway blocked by first responders, as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the air prior to the fire being extinguished.
https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1092450614792069122
The I-495 Express Lanes are pushing north to the American Legion Bridge.
As part of a suite of new agreements signed between Virginia officials and Transurban, the private company that operates the express lanes. According to an announcement today from Gov. Ralph Northam’s office:
Four general purpose (GP) lanes and two new Express Lanes will run in each direction of the Capital Beltway starting from the current terminus near the Dulles Access Road and ending at the American Legion Bridge. With no public funding by the Commonwealth, the Express Lanes network will be extended to the Maryland border, helping address one of the worst bottlenecks in the region and reduce cut-through traffic in local McLean neighborhoods.
The express lanes have tolls that range from 20 cents per mile to $1.25 per mile during rush hour with no official cap. Cars with three or more people do not have to pay the toll.
The announcement follows Maryland’s $9 billion investment announced in 2017 that included toll lanes on the northern side of the bridge.
The area of McLean on the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge has long been an infamous congestion hotspot. An average of 239,000 people use the bridge every workday, and Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust warned that the bridge is “grossly over capacity” and in dire need of expansion.
“I am delighted that Governor Northam and his team have found a way to expand capacity on I-495, heading up to the American Legion Bridge,” State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31st District) said in a press release. “This improvement demonstrates Virginia’s commitment to easing traffic throughout the region and provides further incentives for Maryland to help address congestion on the Bridge.”
As part of the deal, Transurban agreed to construct a new southbound lane on I-95 near the Occoquan Bridge in the Woodbridge area, another infamous bottleneck for regional traffic.
Three lanes of northbound traffic are closed on I-495 are closed near the American Legion Bridge due to a jackknifed tractor trailer.
The crash was reported around 2:30 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the Beltway near Georgetown Pike, just before the bridge. As of 3 p.m., VDOT cameras showed traffic backing up past Tysons to around the Route 7 interchange.
Three lefthand lanes of the Beltway are currently closed. Virginia State Police, firefighters, an ambulance and a heavy duty tow truck are currently on the scene.
Firefighters contained a small fuel spill from the crashed truck, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
In addition to the northbound delays, traffic heading southbound is also backed up prior to the crash scene, with delays extending to the top side of the Beltway in Maryland.
Units on scene of jack-knifed tractor trailer I-495 NB at Georgetown Pike in McLean. No injuries. Small fuel leak quickly contained by firefighters. Left three lanes of I-495 NB are blocked due to crash. @VSPPIO also are on scene. #FCFRD #traffic #vatraffic pic.twitter.com/3dV60xVXCF
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 18, 2019
Photo via VDOT
