VDOT pushes South‑Side 495 express lanes study, board presses on local impacts and Maryland coordination

VDOT presented an update on the I‑95/I‑495 South‑Side Express Lane NEPA study to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee, saying the project would add buffer‑separated express lanes on the western portion of an 11‑mile segment and transition to one express lane per direction eastward.

The project is in a NEPA study that began in 2022. VDOT’s presenter, identified in the transcript as Ms. Shropshire, said the team screened 10 alternatives and has carried forward two build alternatives plus a no‑build. She described the recommended preferred alternative as “two express lanes in each direction” on the western portion, tapering to a single express lane toward the Maryland (MD‑210) interchange, and noted federal agencies have provided concurrence on aspects of the preferred alternative as part of NEPA.

Why it matters: VDOT’s preliminary traffic modeling projects substantial future travel‑time improvements in a…