September 2005

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo showing I-95/395N towards the Pentagon and Washington, DC. On the lower right, brown girders, is the new I-95N bridge to the Capital Beltway outer loop, I-495E/I-95N. Since this photo was taken in September, 2005 the bridge is nearing completion and VDOT anticipates opening the bridge in late December or in early Jan, 2006. Once the bridge opens motorists in all northbound directions will benefit as motorists heading towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge will no longer be in the I-95/395N corridor merging to the right as they will get onto the new bridge from the left lanes south of Springfield. The current ramp from I-95N to the outer loop remains open for Franconia Road, Route 644W motorists heading toward the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. However, new ramp lanes from Franconia Road will hug the far right sound wall thus reducing traffic in the corridor even more. When this happens, by the end of the year or early January, the old I-95N ramp to the outer loop will be closed. Also shown is the new I-395S bridge to the Beltway outer loop. Also note the area between I-95/395N and the I-95N ramp to the outer loop and notice the island. This island is really the first abutment phase of the new I-95N bridge to the Capital Beltway inner loop, I-495N, towards Tysons Corner scheduled to open in summer of 2006.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo showing the core Springfield Interchange Project construction area where I-95/395/495 converge. Photo looking NW on the Capital Beltway, I-495N towards Tysons Corner. In the middle is the new I-95S bridge opened a couple of years ago making the seamless connection from the inner loop to I-95S. On this side you see the steel for the new I-95N bridge to the outer loop towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge/Baltimore. The bridge is now almost complete and may be opened to motorists by the end of December or in early January 2006 providing seamless connection from I-95N to the outer loop, I-495E/I-95N.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo, shot in mid September, looking west showing the Capital Beltway outer loop lanes, curving east past the I-95/395 overpass. Shown is the new I-395S bridge to the outer loop and the I-95N bridge to the outer loop that is expected to open in late December or by early January 2006.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo, shot in mid September, looking southwest, Springfield in upper right corner, I-395/95S in center photo. Reddish-brown steel girders to the left are part of the superstructure of the new I-95N bridge leading to the Capital Beltway outer loop towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge north to Baltimore/New York. Bridge is nearly complete with an anticipated opening in late December or in early January 2006.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo, shot in mid September, looking at I-395/95S towards Richmond with Springfield in background. On the right side of the photo are the new ramps from I-395S to the inner loop towards Tysons Corner and the new ramp entrance to the flyover bridge heading over the interchange for the Beltway outer loop lanes towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge/Baltimore. To the left of the bridge ramp lanes is the new exit ramp from I-395S to Route 644, Springfield/Franconia, now open.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo shot in mid September, looking southeast with the inner loop (upfront) and outer loop of the Capital Beltway, I-495. In the center from back towards front are the constructed piers that will be connected with steel girders to form the new I-95N bridge to the inner loop, I-495N towards Tysons Corner, scheduled to open in summer 2006. From left to right is I-395/95S

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo shot in mid September, looking straight down on I-95/395N showing the new I-95N bridge to the Capital Beltway outer loop, I-495E/95N scheduled to open in late December or in early January. The 'white' on the bridge is a recently poured section of concrete. The green is a section showing the 'rebar,' reinforced steel bars that provide strength to the deck surface, once in place, concrete is then poured. The unmarked lanes to the far right, against the sound barrier will be the new I-95N lanes to the outer loop for motorists entering from Franconia Road, Route 644W heading towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Once these lanes are opened, the current ramp shown will be shut thus making transit in the I-95/395N corridor much less congested and much safer as the weave and merge actions of I-95N motorists heading to the ramp will be gone. In the photo you will note the small island of lane between I-95/395N and the I-95N ramp to the outer loop. This island is actually the abutment for the new I-95N bridge to the inner loop towards Tysons Corner scheduled to open in summer of 2006.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo shot in mid September showing (on right) inner loop Beltway lanes heading towards Tysons Corner and outer loop lanes (on left) heading towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Directly below is the new I-95S bridge connecting the inner loop to I-95S that opened in May 2003. To the left is a section of the new I-95N bridge to the Beltway outer loop that is nearly complete and scheduled to open in late December or early January. The old circular loop on the middle right side of the photo is the I-395N ramp to the Beltway inner loop towards Tysons Corner. VDOT anticipates that next summer the new I-95N bridge to the inner loop towards Tysons Corner will open and this old cloverleaf will be shut and demolished.

Springfield Interchange Project aerial photo shot in mid September looking southwest with Springfield in the upper left. On the right is the new ramp to the flyover bridge from I-395S onto the Capital Beltway outer loop lanes heading towards the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Also, note the new ramp from I-395S leading directly to Old Keene Mill/Franconia Roads, Route 644. No longer will these local motorist need to weave and merge from the left to the right to exit at Springfield. When the project is complete in 2007, these motorists will head right for the exit as the only folks they will meet are those on the outer loop also heading to Route 644. Outer loop, thru (long distance) motorists, heading south towards Richmond will have their own bridge directly onto I-95S and they too will not have to worry about exiting I-95S traffic to Springfield merging right as they merge left.