The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Transurban, the Commonwealth’s private partner and operator of the 495 Express Lanes, announced today that the northern extension of the 495 Express Lanes is scheduled to open in late November, ahead of holiday travel. The extension includes two new express lanes in each direction of I-495 (the Capital Beltway) between the Dulles Corridor Interchange and the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) Interchange, as well as new express lanes access at both interchanges. This extension will provide more capacity, new connections with major commuter and business routes, and new travel options for people who face daily gridlock and congestion in this section of the Beltway.

“We are pleased to be getting close to opening the new 495 Express Lanes extension,” stated VDOT Megaprojects Director Michelle Shropshire. “This latest addition to Northern Virginia’s existing 94-mile network of connected express lanes will provide new choices for faster and more reliable travel, in an area of the Beltway that consistently faces lengthy backups and travel delays. The added express lanes and new connections at key interchanges, along with new bridges and other multimodal improvements that will come online in 2026 as part of the 495 NEXT project, will benefit local and regional travelers, as well as surrounding communities,” added Shropshire.

“The latest extension of the 495 Express Lanes again proves the power of partnership," said Beau Memory, President, Transurban North America. “Investing in our community means more than just steel and concrete infrastructure - it is about creating lasting value through community benefits like multimodal travel choices and local organization investment. Our partnership with VDOT, now spanning 13 years, is an example of the power of collaboration when it comes to bringing projects like this extension to bear.”

The two-and-a-half mile 495 Express Lanes extension connects with the existing 14-mile 495 Express Lanes just north of Tysons, near the Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Access Road, and extends north to the GWMP before the American Legion Bridge into Maryland. Dedicated express lanes ramps will open from westbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) to the north, and to and from the GWMP. The 495 Express Lanes extension, and larger network of express lanes in Northern Virginia, are free for high occupant vehicles (HOV) with three or more people, while solo drivers can choose to use the lanes by paying a toll. Express lanes tolls are dynamically priced and fluctuate to manage demand and keep the lanes moving at highway speeds.

Buses also travel the express lanes for free, providing another way for travelers to experience faster and more reliable express lanes travel. Existing bus service on the 495 Express Lanes that will benefit from the new extension opening includes the Fairfax Connector’s Express Bus Service 798 between Tysons and Bethesda - two of the busiest areas within the greater Washington, D.C. region. The Route 798 bus service, which launched in September 2024, was made possible through an early commitment of $5.2 million by the Commonwealth to purchase the buses and $2 million from the 495 NEXT Transportation Management Plan to begin operations during construction. Annual transit payments from Transurban, starting at $2.2 million, will fund continued service of this important transit service.

The 495 NEXT project includes additional benefits and features such as:

• New bridges with sidewalks across the Beltway at Live Oak Drive, Old Dominion Drive and Georgetown Pike
• Rehabilitation of four other bridges including the Lewinsville Road Bridge
• New, upgraded noise walls to protect nearby neighborhoods
• New stormwater management systems and environmental commitments to improve Scott’s Run Stream
• Four miles of new bicycle and pedestrian connections including a shared-use path parallel to I-495 from Lewinsville Road to near Live Oak Drive

Over the next month, crews will continue to complete the new express lanes in the center portion of the Beltway. Critical construction activities that must be completed include paving, lane marking, installation of roadway signs and completion of new express lanes ramps. The planned opening date will be provided in the coming weeks, once these activities, which are weather dependent, are completed.

Work to finish several of these features including the shared-use path and new Beltway bridges at Georgetown Pike will continue into 2026. Lane closures during non-peak travel times will continue to be necessary for crews to safely complete these important project elements, which will benefit surrounding communities and local travelers.

The $660 million 495 NEXT project is a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Transurban, private partner and operator of the existing 495, 95 and 395 Express Lanes. Lane Construction is the lead design-build contractor, with Shirley Contracting Company building improvements and express lanes access at the I-495 and Dulles Corridor Interchange. Construction on this critical improvement project began in March 2022. Final project completion is anticipated to occur by mid-2026.

More information on how the Extension will work is available at: www.ExpressLanes.com/495Extension