New Beltway Outer Loop Ramp to I-395 North Opens Thursday Morning
New Beltway Outer Loop Ramp to I-395 North Opens Thursday Morning
Eight-Year Improvement Project Nearing Completion
One of the final three ramps of the 50 new bridges and flyover ramps built over the past eight years to make the Springfield Interchange safer and easier to navigate, is set for opening to traffic by 5 a.m., Thursday morning, March 15, weather permitting, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced today.
The new Beltway ramp will exit from the right lane rather than the current left lane, just past the I-95 South Richmond sign. Once the new flyover ramp opens, Beltway traffic heading east towards the Wilson Bridge will have three thru lanes. However, the left thru lane temporarily ends where traffic passes over I-395 to allow for ongoing construction. The far left thru lane will re-open by the end of the year.
Large overhead signs will be installed well in advance of the new exit to I-395 North. Additionally, temporary ground-mounted signs will be installed to educate motorists about the new exit ramp. VDOT traffic counts show that 2,100 vehicles an hour use the Outer Loop exit to I-395 North during the morning rush and about 1,900 per hour during the evening rush.
The $676 million improvement project remains on budget and on schedule for completion by the end of the year. “This marks one the last remaining ramps as we head towards completing the Springfield Interchange Improvement Project by early fall,” said Dennis Morrison, district administrator for VDOT in Northern Virginia. In addition to this ramp, VDOT plans to re-open the Beltway Outer Loop ramp for local traffic to reach Old Keene Mill Road, Exit 169B, in Springfield, by the end of May. This ramp was temporarily closed to allow for construction work to take place in the ramp area.
The final new ramp will open this summer providing Franconia Road motorists heading onto I-395 North, towards Washington, with an easier and smoother entrance. Franconia Road motorists enter from the same ramp but will follow a new ramp lane leading under the Beltway directly onto I-395.