Del. Kory: Beltway HOT lanes will relieve gridlock

The beltway HOT lanes construction is creating headaches for drivers, but the result should be well worth the inconvenience, says Del. Kaye Kory of the 38th District.

“The planners of the nearly $2 billion project expect that the drive time from either Braddock Road or Gallows Road to Tysons Corner will be cut in half when construction is completed” in late 2012, Kory states in her report Richmond Report, published in the Falls Church News-Press.

Kory says she remains “very concerned about the total environmental impact of this construction,” but is looking forward to the promise of gridlock relief.

The HOT (high occupancy toll) lane project, a joint venture of VDOT and its private sector partners, Fluor and Transurban, is expected to alleviate congestion by adding four lanes to the beltway between the Springfield interchange to slightly north of the Dulles Toll Road. “Widening this 14-mile section of I-495 will allow carpoolers and buses to drive toll-free at all times while charging solo drivers a toll that will vary according to traffic density,” Kory says. “Dynamic toll pricing will be calculated to keep traffic moving evenly throughout the day.”

By the fall of 2011, 58 interchanges, bridges, and overpasses will have been replaced as part of Transurban and Fluor’s $260 million plan to replace the beltway’s aging infrastructure. Every bridge will be built with pedestrian and bicycle access. [The photo shows the new Braddock Road overpass.]

“I am very pleased that the Washington Area Bicycling Association has been a part of the conversation as this people-friendly access project has proceeded,” Kory says. “To finally be able to cross the beltway by foot or by bicycle is an important and long overdue achievement that will add sorely needed commuting options.”

Weekly project updates are available at VDOT’s Mega Projects and HOT lanes websites.

Kory also noted that Fluor and Transurban encourage organizations to apply for their Community Grants Program to support “local organizations that sustain, enhance, or protect the local environment and neighborhoods.” ACCA (the Annandale Christian Committee for Action) Childcare services and the Annandale Chamber of Commerce have already received grants. Applications are available online.

In other transportation news, Kory reported that a new “optimistic” law passed by the General Assembly to raise speed limits on I-95 from 65 mph to 70 mph took effect July 1. “I use the word ‘optimistic’ because VDOT must study the 65 mph sections of I-95, recommend the speed limit increase, and then post new signs before drivers are legally allowed to accelerate to 70 mph,” Kory says. And “whether the speed limit is 65 or 70 doesn’t make much difference when drivers are stuck in gridlocked commuter traffic.”

If residents of the 38th District have any complaints or questions about transportation issues, Kaye Kory wants to hear from you.

One response to “Del. Kory: Beltway HOT lanes will relieve gridlock”

Dave! says:

July 15, 2010 at 6:01 pm

I don't have Ms. Kory's optimism that the HOT lanes will be worth either the inconvenience or the expense. As designed, they are unfair to the poorer residents, unlikely to garner a great number of carpoolers or paying customers (based on the fees advertised so far), basically doubling the number of merging areas and adding toll booths and thus unlikely to make a real dent in the congestion of the area. This deal with the devil, done because politicians simply had to do something but were not willing to do the right things, removes any flexibility for the forseeable future. A beltway metro line? No such luck. Any future lane relief for those of us that don't own a Lexus? Not in my lifetime. All this does is set the precedent for future "transportation solutions".

One response to “Del. Kory: Beltway HOT lanes will relieve gridlock”

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