Sometimes the most important transportation decisions happen years before anyone pours concrete.
At our October 20 Board meeting, VDOT briefed us on the I-95 Bi-Directional Express Lanes Feasibility Study, which is examining whether the existing reversible Express Lanes could eventually provide express-lane capacity in both directions at the same time.
Today, the I-95 Express Lanes operate in the peak travel direction. VDOT and Transurban are now studying a roughly 45-mile corridor from near the Springfield Interchange to Spotsylvania County to determine whether a bi-directional system is feasible.
This is an idea I pushed to have incorporated into Prince William County’s long-range transportation planning before adoption of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan in 2022.
Why?
Because commuting patterns – especially in a post-COVID-19 world – are not always one-directional anymore. Prince William residents travel north and south for work, school, appointments, recreation, and family responsibilities, and our transportation network needs to be flexible enough to reflect that reality.
A bi-directional system could potentially improve reliability and give travelers more options regardless of which direction they are headed.
But I want to emphasize the word study.
This is not an approved construction project.
Environmental and traffic studies are underway. VDOT currently anticipates public meetings and hearings in 2027 and 2028, with a feasibility and project decision targeted for fall 2028.
That process matters.
Long-range planning is about putting good ideas on the table early enough that they can actually be studied, tested, refined, and compared against alternatives.
Getting a concept into the Comprehensive Plan does not guarantee that it gets built.
It makes sure we do not miss the opportunity to seriously evaluate it.
Plan it. Study it. Test it. Then decide.
