New HOV rules take effect for I-66

New rules for Interstate 66 take effect on Monday, Dec. 5.

You’ll need to have three, rather than two, passengers to qualify as a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and avoid paying toll.

The change from HOV-2+ to HOV-3+ applies to the entire I-66 corridor between Rosslyn and Gainesville.

That includes the 22.5 miles of I-66 of Express Lanes outside the beltway and the nine miles inside the beltway between I-495 and Route 29 in Rosslyn, which operate on weekdays during peak periods in peak commute directions,

The Virginia Department of Transportation and the region’s Commuter Connections network are offering an incentive of up to $366 per person for new HOV-3+ carpools traveling in the I-66 corridor.

The Pool Rewards program pays each participant in a carpool – driver or passenger – a cash reward following three months of carpooling. The incentive also applies to existing HOV-2+ carpools that add a third person. Learn more about the Pool Rewards program and sign up here.

The final stretch of the $3.7 billion I-66 project officially opened Nov. 29 with a ceremony featuring state and local leaders and executives of the infrastructure development companies – Meridiam, Cintra, and APG – in the I-66 Express Mobility Partners consortium.

The consortium will manage the Express Lanes under a 50-year lease with Virginia. The Express Lanes operate with dynamic tolls, meaning drivers pay more when there is more traffic.

Drivers on the Express Lanes need an E-ZPass to pay tools – or an E-ZPass Flex to travel toll-free as an HOV-3+ vehicle.

Construction on the outside-the-beltway I-66 project started in 2017. The project includes shared-use paths and crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists, interchange improvements, and new and expanded park-and-ride lots.

About 200,000 vehicles a day travel on I-66. The expanded Express Lanes are expected to move 2,000 to 4,000 additional vehicles a day.