VDOT: What’s happening on I-66

Extra Virginia State Police and VDOT Safety Service Patrols have been added between I-495 and Gainesville for the duration of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. Photo courtesy of VDOT.

Construction activities are underway along the I-66 corridor, from preliminary grading and drainage work at the new Gainesville Park and Ride lot to building foundations for new ramps at the Route 28 and I-495 interchanges.

Other noteworthy work happening in coming months includes:

• Building new bridge piers at Route 234 Business and Bull Run Drive
• Constructing new retaining walls near Jermantown Road
• Shifting traffic at Route 123 to allow construction of new bridges and exit ramps (more information below)
• Continued clearing and utility relocation in VDOT right of way along the highway

In addition, crews continue corridor-wide roadway maintenance, with daily multi-lane closures during daytime and overnight hours. This work includes lane re-striping, hand-filling potholes, and milling and repaving sections of roadway as needed and weather allows.

AREA SPOTLIGHT – ROUTE 123 (CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD) INTERCHANGE

Construction activities are underway at the Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) Interchange. When complete in 2022, the new interchange configuration will provide direct access to and from the new Express Lanes as well as continued access to the general purpose lanes. Work includes tree clearing, drainage installation, and constructing box culverts for the new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians.

What to Expect in the Next Six Months at the Route 123 Interchange

• Excavation and paving work for temporary road detours through the interchange
• Excavation and paving work for new ramps to Route 123
• Closure of existing ramps once detours are in place

EXTRA STATE POLICE AND SAFETY SERVICE PATROLS

Responding quickly to crashes, breakdowns, and other incidents in the construction corridor helps keep motorists and workers safe and reduces traffic backups. Extra Virginia State Police and VDOT Safety Service Patrols have been added between I-495 and Gainesville for the duration of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project. These patrols are a key part of the project’s traffic management plan to keep traffic moving and enhance safety in the corridor.

Two additional Safety Service Patrol posts now cover the project corridor on weekdays between 4 a.m. and noon and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Weekend patrols cover from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. These staff proactively patrol the corridor, providing assistance and responding at the direction of VDOT’s operations center and state police dispatch. One Virginia State Police patrol shift has been added on weekdays; a second patrol will be added in spring 2019.