Construction of HOT lanes on Interstate 495, the Washington Beltway, will begin early next year and last five years, reports Karen Brulliard with the Washington Post. The $1.7 billion project will stretch 14 miles and include nine dedicated interchanges with the Beltway, including three new access points to Tysons Corner.
The congestion tolls, which will vary by time of day, will be geared to keeping traffic flowing at optimal speeds and maximize capacity. The average trip during rush hour is expected to cost $5 to $6. Given the premium that many Northern Virginians put on their time, that’s a bargain. The four new lanes will continue to be free for buses and cars with three or more riders.
With HOT lanes planned for Interstate 95 as well, the beginnings of a free-flowing network are coming into place. Said Pierce R. Homer, secretary of transportation: “The Capital Beltway is the busiest and most congested highway in Virginia, and we believe we have come up with an affordable solution that brings transit and HOV services to that corridor for the first time. This means that a resident, say, from Aquia Harbour in Stafford who works in Tysons Corner can pick up two neighbors and drive on a congestion-free facility all the way, or that same person can ride a bus to that location. . . . It’s a brand-new travel option.”
But Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, contended that the state should not have relinquished operation of the HOT lanes to a private firm. Said Schwartz: “I would argue that there really is no real private cash on the table that comes from these deals. All these contractors are doing is serving as a sort of bond agent for the state.”