Issue #21 | Spring 2025

In This Issue...

• Traffic Shifts Underway on Capital Beltway
• Big Beam Weekend – Big Success for 495 NEXT 
• Bridges Over I-495 Taking Shape
• The 495 NEXT Corridor: Six Decades of History
• Under the Hard Hat Profile
• Express Lanes Community Grant Program

Traffic Shifts Underway on Capital Beltway

Making Room for Crews to Build New Express Lanes

Work crews recently shifted all four lanes on northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway Inner Loop), within the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project corridor, onto newly-built lanes on the outer portion of the Beltway. This shift allows crews to begin building the new express lanes. Lanes on southbound I-495 (Capital Beltway Outer Loop) in the project corridor are planned to start shifting in early June. There will continue to be four general purpose lanes on both north- and southbound I-495 following these traffic shifts.

Once the southbound I-495 lanes are shifted outward, crews will mobilize and begin working in the center area of the highway to construct the new express lanes. Construction activities will include:

• Demolishing old piers in the highway median for the replaced bridges at Live Oak Drive, Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive
• Constructing new ramps
• Demolishing retired center lane pavement
• Installing new stormwater drainage
• Installing new tolling and traffic management system infrastructure
• Building the foundation, paving and striping the new express lanes

Motorists are urged to slow down, eliminate distractions and drive with heightened caution as they acclimate to the newly aligned Beltway lanes, and as work ramps up in the center area of the roadway. As construction continues in this portion of I-495, travelers should expect narrowed lanes and shoulders, traffic pattern adjustments and lane closures during non-peak travel times.

The new 495 Express Lanes remain on track to open late this year, extending the existing 14-mile 495 Express Lanes from near the Dulles Corridor Interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) in proximity of the American Legion Bridge. New ramps will provide express lanes access at Dulles Toll Road and GWMP.

The remainder of the project, including completion of a new bike and pedestrian trail and a new parking area for Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026.

Newly-built lanes on the outer portion of the Beltway for northbound I-495 (Inner Loop) traffic approaching Live Oak Drive, prior to the recent traffic shift (May 2025).

Big Beam Weekend - Big Success for 495 NEXT!

Major Bridge Beam Installation Drives 495 NEXT Project Forward

Earlier this year, crews successfully installed five lines of massive steel girders spanning 295 feet in length across northbound I-495 for a new express lanes ramp that will connect the Dulles Toll Road to northbound I-495. This major bridge girder operation – the Big Beam Weekend – occurred Friday night, January 24 through early Monday morning, January 27, and required lane reductions on northbound I-495 near Tysons, and ramp closures and detours at the I-495 and Dulles Corridor Interchange area. Drivers were urged to STAY AWAY all weekend to avoid travel disruptions.

The Big Beam Weekend was far from a typical beam installation. The massive beams had to be erected by oversized cranes over an interchange comprised of three levels of infrastructure managed by three separate road operators. The busy area on the Beltway where the operation took place is traveled by 100,000 vehicles daily and adjacent to a major retail, commercial and residential area in Tysons.

Typically, this type of planned construction occurs during nighttime hours or non-peak travel times to limit impacts to the traveling public. However, due to the magnitude of the Big Beam operation, a one-weekend operation to execute this work was determined to be the best approach, as the duration of major traffic impacts would be shortened from four weekends into a single weekend; driver awareness and diversion from the work area would be more achievable if concentrated to one weekend versus multiple weekends; and work could be executed more efficiently.

Watch the massive bridge girders being lifted into place over northbound I-495 in this time-lapse video:

Ultimately, approximately 40 percent or more of I-495 traffic was diverted during the Big Beam Weekend, exceeding the project team’s original goal and resulting in no major backups or delays. All girders were safely erected and secured, with work concluding and the area demobilized and reopened to traffic ahead of schedule and before Monday morning rush hour.

The successful completion of the Big Beam Weekend marks an important project milestone, keeping the project on track to open the new express lanes in late 2025. 

Bridges Over I-495 Taking Shape

Crews continue to make progress replacing old bridges with new bridges featuring sidewalks and trail connections. In addition to providing upgraded features, new bridges crossing I-495 are necessary to allow for construction of the future, wider Beltway below. The following milestones highlight progress being made on the project’s bridge construction: 

• New Live Oak Drive Bridge opened in August 2024
• New northern portion of Georgetown Pike Bridge opened in August 2024 
• New Old Dominion Drive Bridge opened in early February 2025
• Beltway bridge widening over Scott’s Run is ongoing and scheduled to be completed in May 2025 
• New southern portion of Georgetown Pike Bridge is scheduled to be completed in November 2025

Traffic was shifted to the new Old Dominion Drive Bridge over I-495 in February 2025.

The 495 NEXT Corridor: Six Decades of History

Did you know the stretch of I-495 that makes up the 495 NEXT project corridor opened in 1962 as a four-lane highway? By 1977, the segment of the project between the Dulles Corridor Interchange and Georgetown Pike was widened to eight lanes, and by 1992, the segment between Georgetown Pike and GWMP also featured eight lanes.

The 495 NEXT project, which is extending the existing 495 Express Lanes to the north by two-and-a-half miles, will provide new travel choices for express lanes users, carpools, buses, and bicyclists and pedestrians. This express lanes extension project is the first expansion of this specific stretch of the Beltway in more than three decades.

Circa 1965, the two lanes of northbound I-495 as the photographer’s vehicle is about to pass under the Old Dominion Drive Bridge (Source: VAHighways.com).

A 1961 Virginia Department of Highways (precursor to VDOT) commissioning plaque adorns the original Old Dominion Drive Bridge, which has been demolished (December 2024).

Q: Describe your role on 495 NEXT as Transurban’s construction manager.



A: As a construction manager, my role is to make sure all project construction is performed with a focus on safety, quality, and schedule. 

Q: What is the importance of construction management on projects of this size and impact? 

A: As with all construction projects, and this being a very large project, safety of everyone within our large construction area and of the public traveling around and through the work zone is of the utmost importance. 

Q: In what ways has 495 NEXT been unique compared to other projects you’ve supported in your career?

A: All projects are unique. The actual length of the project is only 2.5 miles, but it is packed with so much civil infrastructure like bridges and ramps that add complexity. There also are several neighborhoods in very close proximity to the project that require close and thoughtful coordination.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about working on 495 NEXT? 

A: I’ve always enjoyed working in construction. It’s never linear or repetitive and the challenges are rewarding. Coordination with partner agencies on environmental issues has been an important part of this project, and I’m proud of our work to help protect the surrounding area. 

Q: Are there any defining moments that have helped you progress to your current role?

A: I started my career with Transurban as a field inspector. As opportunities have become available, I’ve always jumped in. I previously worked in design, but being a field inspector allows you to be on the ground with the crews, which gives you a really great understanding of every project you’re working on. 

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you have for someone interested in pursuing a career in construction management? 

A: Learn as much as you can. Construction managers have to be a jack of all trades. Have flexibility to get out of your comfort zone and explore new things. Always approach your work with an appetite to learn and a readiness to jump in when needed. 

Transurban's Express Lanes Community Grant Program

Groups dedicated to improving communities along the 495 NEXT corridor are invited to submit applications for Transurban's 495 NEXT Community Grant program. 

The next deadline to apply for a community grant is June 30, 2024. 

Click here to learn more about Transurban’s Express Lanes Community Grant programs and how to apply.

Questions?

Email: 495NorthernExtension@vdot.virginia.gov

Call: Construction Inquiry Line, 703-592-6430

Virginia Department of Transportation, Michelle Holland, 703-586-0487

Transurban, Mike McGurk, 571-421-5364

Lane Construction, John Undeland, 703-785-3461