VDOT HOT Lanes Meeting Scheduled

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold design public hearings on the proposed high occupancy vehicle (HOV) and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 95 between Edsall Road in Fairfax County and Garrisonville Road in Stafford County on Sept. 26, 28 and 29.

The hearings will provide the public with the opportunity to review findings of VDOT’s I-95 Environmental Assessment and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s (DRPT) Transit and Transportation Demand Management plan (TDM).

The public meetings will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on these dates and times:

• Monday, Sept. 26, Botts Fire Hall, 1306 F Street, Woodbridge, VA 22191
• Wednesday, Sept. 28, Waterford at Springfield, 6715 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA 22150
• Thursday, Sept. 29, North Stafford High School, 839 Garrisonville Road, Stafford, VA 22554

The I-95 Environmental Assessment summarizes the environmental impacts of the proposed improvements along the I-95 corridor and is available at www.vamegaprojects.com. 

The I-95 Transit and TDM plan will identify potential transit and TDM improvements along the I-95 corridor to address the anticipated increase in congestion. The plan will provide recommendations only and will not provide a financial plan to advance improvements The plan will be posted on Sept. 26 at www.drpt.virginia.gov.

Oral and written comments will be accepted at the hearings.  Comments regarding the project design and environmental analysis should be sent to John Lynch, P.E., Regional Transportation Program Director, Virginia Megaprojects, 6363 Walker Lane, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22310 or to info@I-95hotlanes.com by Oct. 14, 2011 with “I-95 Joint Meetings” in the subject line.

Comments regarding the I-95 Transit and TDM plan can be sent to Public Information Office, DRPT, 600 E. Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond, VA 23219 or to drptpr@drpt.virginia.gov by Oct. 26, 2011.

The proposed I-95 HOV/HOT Lanes would:

• Provide a seamless connection to the I-495 HOT lanes (under construction) and Tysons Corner.
• Add new or improved access to and from the HOV/HOT network at key locations along the corridor.
• Expand the I-95 HOV lanes from two to three lanes for 14 miles, from the vicinity of Edsall Road to the Prince William Parkway.
• Extend the HOV lanes for nine miles, from Dumfries in Prince William County to Garrisonville Road in Stafford County, alleviating the worst bottleneck in the region. Stafford County would have HOV lanes for the first time.
• Improve six miles of existing HOV lanes from the Prince William Parkway to Route 234.
• Allow free travel for carpools with three or more persons as well as buses, vanpools, motorcycles and emergency vehicles.
• Charge single person vehicles a toll based on time of day and travel distance. 

Construction could begin as early as spring 2012 and likely take three years to complete. The $1 billion project is being financed and constructed under Virginia’s Public Private Transportation Act with the majority funded by the private sector and support from a state contribution.