The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) approved changes to the region’s long range transportation plan today, which affect some of Northern Virginia’s major roadways.  The updated plan reflects changes requested by the Commonwealth of Virginia to remove the I-95/395 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes project that had been proposed for inside the Capital Beltway, which included:

• the addition of a third lane and the conversion of HOV lanes to HOT lanes from Turkeycock Run (north of Edsall Road) to Eads Street, and
• bus improvements on the proposed HOT lanes, including three bus rapid transit (BRT) stations along the corridor

As part of its action today, the TPB approved the addition of a reversible one-lane ramp from the HOV lanes on I-395 to and from Seminary Road, which will serve HOV and transit users traveling to and from the Mark Center in Alexandria.  In voting for the update, several local elected officials urged state transportation officials to find ways to identify funding to improve transit in this corridor. 

Outside the Beltway, the I-95 HOV/HOT lanes project will proceed as planned except for the removal of construction of a third lane between VA 234-Dumfries Road and VA 3000-the Prince William Parkway.

The update also added a project to widen I-66 to eight lanes, which will include new HOV lanes, between US 29 and Route 15 outside of the Beltway.