495 Express Lanes

The 495 Express Lanes are high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes that will operate on the I-495/Capital Beltway to provide you with faster and more predictable travel options on I-495. The 495 Express Lanes will be two new HOT lanes in each direction on the Virginia side of the Capital Beltway from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road (approximately 14 miles).

There is no difference. The name of the project has changed from HOT Lanes to Express Lanes because the on-road signage will say “EXPRESS” and we want you to become familiar with what you will see on the road.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) owns and oversees all aspects of the Express Lanes and there is a concession agreement that allows Transurban (USA) Operations Inc. to operate the lanes.

The Express Lanes are on schedule to be completed in late 2012 and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Read how you can use the lanes when they open.

There are several entrances and exits to the Express Lanes throughout the 14-mile stretch of the lanes. Learn more about entry and exit points

Buses, carpools (HOV-3+), motorcycles and emergency vehicles can use the lanes without paying a toll. If you have fewer than three people in your car, you will pay a toll to use the lanes.

Tolls for the Express Lanes will be dynamic, meaning they will change periodically based on real-time traffic conditions to keep the lanes free flowing.

It is not possible for us to predict exactly what the tolls will be at any given time. We expect they will range from as low as 20 cents per mile during less busy times, to approximately a dollar per mile in some sections of the Beltway during rush hour. The average trip cost is estimated to be between $5 and $6.

The toll rate will be based upon the changing levels of traffic in the Express Lanes. Sensors alongside the road will monitor traffic levels and speed, and toll prices will adjust to maintain free flow in the lanes.

There will be no toll cap, as tolls must be able to manage real-time traffic demand and keep the lanes free flowing.

The Express Lanes will be available to anyone traveling the Beltway that could benefit from a predictable trip and the new exits from the Express Lanes, particularly into Tysons Corner.

Research on existing express lanes facilities in other parts of the country reveals that a wide range of people choose to use express lanes and pay tolls when they need a faster, more predictable travel time. 

You must pay tolls with an E-ZPass®. There will be no toll booths or options to pay cash on the Express Lanes. Learn more about using the Express Lanes

Before all Express Lanes entrances you will see two electronic message signs showing the latest toll price information to three destinations so you can decide to use the Express Lanes or travel on the regular lanes. Learn more about signage

No.  You will lock in your toll rate when you enter the lanes and will be charged based on that rate and the distance you traveled in the Express Lanes.  Learn more about pricing

The Express Lanes will use dynamic pricing to manage the number of toll-paying customers in the lanes and keep them free flowing. On average, we expect vehicles to travel at 55 miles per hour, even during rush hour.

Similar facilities that use dynamic toll prices in other U.S. cities have proven to provide faster, more reliable travel times. For example, travelers save about 20 minutes per trip on express lanes on I-10 in Houston. In Southern California, SR-91 customers estimated they shaved nearly 30 minutes off their morning and afternoon commutes.

We will also have dedicated incident management systems, such as closed-circuit surveillance cameras, traffic sensors and video-based incident detection that will quickly identify incidents on the lanes and notify dedicated incident response crews.  Additionally, strict enforcement of HOV access and tolling in the lanes will be critical to maintaining free-flowing travel conditions.

Yes, tolls will always be in effect. HOV-3+ can travel for free on the lanes all the time.

Per Virginia law, hybrid drivers will not travel free in the Express Lanes (unless you are HOV-3).

Mid-sized trucks such as local delivery trucks may use the lanes as a toll paying customer or carpool. Trucks with more than two axles, including large, 18-wheel trucks will not be allowed to access the lanes.

Yes. Motorcycles will be permitted to use the lanes free of charge and do not need an E-ZPass®.

Yes, buses can use the lanes free of charge but will need an E-ZPass®. Learn more about who can use the lanes.

Three or more.

No, you cannot tow boats or trailers on the lanes.

We will tell the difference between HOV and toll-paying customers by reading the E-ZPass® in the vehicle and working with state police to enforce the HOV rules.

All travelers on the Express Lanes will need to have an E-ZPass® or a new E-ZPass® Flex^SM (available summer 2012). The E-ZPass® Flex^SM will work like a regular E-ZPass®, but will let you switch between HOV and toll-paying modes. If your E-ZPass® Flex^SM is switched to HOV mode and you have three or more passengers in the car, you will not be charged a toll. If your E-ZPass® Flex^SM is switched to toll mode, it will be used to pay the toll on the HOT lanes. This switchable E-ZPass® will pay tolls on any other road that accepts E-ZPass®, regardless of the position of the switch.

Yes, you must have an E-ZPass® if you want to use the Express Lanes. There will be no toll booths and no option to pay cash.  

If you want to carpool on the Express Lanes without paying the toll you will need to get a new E-ZPass® Flex^SM. This switchable E-ZPass® will let us know you are a carpooler so that you won’t be charged a toll.  Learn more about using the lanes

You will need to get your E-ZPass® or E-ZPass® Flex^SM from your local E-ZPass® agency and their terms and conditions and fees will apply.  Visit Virginia’s E-ZPass® website  to learn more.

You can get an E-ZPass® Flex^SM starting summer 2012 through Virginia or Maryland’s E-ZPass® offices.

Yes. E-ZPass® Flex^SM can pay tolls on any other road that accepts E-ZPass®, regardless of the position of the switch.

You can register the E-ZPass® on your bumper on the Express Lanes website and we will flag your E-ZPass® as HOV-3.  You will be able to do this in the late fall of 2012.

If you use the Express Lanes without an E-ZPass®, a letter will be sent to you explaining the correct way to use the lanes and requesting payment of your toll and an administrative fee.

Virginia State Police will enforce the lanes with the help of technology.

If you don’t have an E-ZPass®, roadside equipment will capture an image of your license plate and we will send you an invoice in the mail requesting payment of your toll and an administrative fee. 

If you are carpooling, equipment on the side of the road will alert state police that you have identified yourself as HOV-3 through your E-ZPass® Flex^SM.  State police will then do a visual check to make sure you indeed have three people in the car.

Our priority is to ensure clear signage so all drivers know the rules of the road and how to use the Express Lanes. All signs leading up to and within the lanes will have an E-ZPass® logo which should help all drivers understand that they need an E-ZPass®.   Fortunately, more than 16 million people traveling along the East Coast already have an E-ZPass®, so it will be convenient for them to use the Express Lanes.

The increased law enforcement located throughout the Express Lanes will be among the most visible safety measures in place. These officers will enforce safe driving and will be available to respond immediately to incidents on the lanes.

Additionally, closed-circuit video cameras and traffic sensors will continuously monitor the lanes and automatically identify incidents on the lanes within approximately 30 seconds.  We will deploy dedicated incident response crews to manage incidents quickly, in cooperation with first responders and emergency service providers.

Learn more about safety and the Express Lanes

You will need to pull to the left of the Express Lanes. There is no shoulder next to the right lane, so safely proceed to the left lane and pull over to the left shoulder.  And, please stay in your car. You should not get out of your vehicle unless it is an emergency. In an emergency, please move behind the safety barriers until assistance arrives. By using our incident detection monitoring in the lanes, we will be able to identify a need for assistance and will send out incident response or support to assist you.

We will send out the dedicated safety service patrol to help get you back on your way.