The first steps in major construction work on the I-66 toll lanes between the Capital Beltway and Gainesville, Va., is set to begin as soon as this weekend.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and the private companies set to build and operate the lanes under a decades-long deal expect to confirm the start date for major construction this week. The work will kick off four years of construction lane shifts, closures and delays. Initial survey and related preliminary work has been underway for months.
During construction, four lanes are supposed to remain open during rush hour, but the red “X” shoulder lanes will be eliminated this spring and will not return.
The initial major work on the toll lanes is expected to be near the Beltway and Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax County, and near U.S. Rte. 29 in Prince William County. Early work will also include lane shifts or closures on Virginia Route 28 north of I-66, where widening and interchange work has been folded into the I-66 project.
The two toll lanes in each direction are due to open by the end of 2022. Drivers will be able to ride free with a total of three or more people in the car and an E-ZPass Flex in HOV mode; motorcycles and buses will ride free, too. Other cars and trucks will pay a toll that rises and falls based on the amount of traffic in the lanes.
The private companies building and operating the lanes outside the Beltway under a decades-long deal with Virginia are funding that project and will collect the toll revenue.
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Source: WTOP-FM (Washington, D.C.)
