Part of I-95 gets wider on Wednesday
A fourth lane along a traffic-choked three-mile section of northbound I-95 will be available to commuters on Wednesday morning, the Virginia Department of Transportation says. This is the first pay off from the I-95 widening project between Springfield and Occoquan.
On Monday evening, VDOT says, a section of the fourth lane from Lorton Road to the Fairfax County Parkway opened, and by Wednesday, the rest of the new stretch will open just past the Route 1 on-ramp to the parkway.
When the widening is all done in fall 2010, it will have added a fourth lane to the southbound side as well. Getting a northbound portion open now should help holiday traffic as well as commuters.
VDOT estimates that the new northbound lane can safe drivers five to 10 minutes between the Route 1 on-ramp and the Springfield interchange. Even drivers as far south as Dale City should notice the benefit in eased congestion.
By
Robert Thomson
|
December 15, 2009; 2:30 PM ET
Categories:
Advisories
,
Commuting
,
Construction
| Tags: Dr. Gridlock, I-95 widening
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Posted by: IMGoph | December 15, 2009 5:08 PM | Report abuse
The problem of morning congestion isn't lack of lanes, it's the cars that have to cross from the Lorton entrance ramp to the HOV entrance about 2 miles north of Lorton.
To solve the problem another lane isn't the answer. The answer is a flyover ramp to the HOV lanes.
Posted by: gilmoredaniel | December 16, 2009 6:40 AM | Report abuse
When is VDOT going to finish paving the mile section of the other three lanes from Lorton to Newington? Where the old lane markings were gouged out?
Posted by: dccont6683 | December 16, 2009 1:52 PM | Report abuse
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and what happens when this lane is choked with traffic in a couple years? build a 5th? then a 6th? ad infinitum?
you can't build your way out of traffic. sorry virginia, there is no santa claus.