Gov. McDonnell Visits Construction Site of I-95 Express Lanes Project

Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Bob McDonnell visited the construction site of the I-95 Express Lanes project to be briefed on the progress of construction. The express lanes will begin in Stafford County and end between Edsall Road and Duke Street on I-395 in Farifax County, where a ramp will be built to carry motorists from the express lanes to the regular roads. That ramp is expected to end right outside of Alexandria.

According to Tony Adams, vice president of development and major projects for Transurban USA, Inc., the project is slated to be completed in early 2015. In a news release back in August, McDonnell said the project would cost $925 million and will be completed in partnership with private companies.

With expected construction for the next two years, some Fairfax County residents have spoken out about their concerns with the project, according to a previous report by The Washington Post.

"People will realize the benefits of this project," McDonnell said during the tour Tuesday. "They will see [the construction] and see that something is happening and something is being done. If we're going to continue to be a competitive state, we must fix transportation infrastructure."

The project as a whole stretches 29 miles, and is expected to provide more travel options and alleviate traffic and congestion.

"In general, it will certainly add more capacity and more options for motorists," said Steven Titunik, VDOT's mega project spokesman. "In the southbound area, we're extending the HOV lanes or express lanes nine miles from where they end in Dumfries down to Garrisonville, so that alone will provide more through traffic that's headed south of Dumfries onto the express lanes. So that southbound heavy traffic on 95 south every evening will get some relief."

Titunik previously told Patch that there will also be an auxiliary lane constructed for traffic to get on at Duke Street heading north.

Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay previously expressed concerns about the project referring to it as "half-baked."

"You can't see improvement without going through the pains of construction," McKay said, addressing Fairfax County residents' concerns. "That doesn't mean I'm head over heels about this project. I'm worried about the congestion that it will create. There are a lot of complications, and the fact that it ends in Fairfax County concerns me."

According to Adams during Tuesday's tour, the current weather is good for construction and the progress of the project is currently on track. When McDonnell asked if there was anything he could do to continue to support the project, Adams said they only needed to keep the lines of communication open as they have since the project began.

Some challenges they'll face as the project progresses, Adams said, include closing parts of the highway during certain periods of time because its too dangerous for the construction workers. However, the highway will be open during peak hours during construction.

"The good news is when you finish this project, you'll have more to do," McDonnell said. "There are a lot of mega projects."

Click here for more information on VDOT mega projects in Northern Virginia.