Provided by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Travelers on I-66 between Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Gainesville and Route 29 in Centreville should expect extended lane closures and travel impacts beginning in early June as paving operations accelerate to prepare the future I-66 Express Lanes for opening later this year. The work is part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.
Beginning on or about June 7, I-66 East between Route 29 in Gainesville and Route 29 in Centreville will be reduced to three travel lanes with the left lane (HOV lane) closed around the clock for approximately six days. This multi-day closure will allow crews to work more efficiently in paving this section of the future Express Lanes and will reduce the traffic impacts of additional paving during the coming months. Three travel lanes will remain open in this section during peak travel periods.
As work nears, VDOT will provide more detailed information about the upcoming lane closures through project email updates (sign up here), the project website Transform66.org, and @VaDOTNOVA on Twitter. Travelers can find the latest traffic conditions at 511virginia.org. Drivers traveling on I-66 during this time should plan ahead, expect delays, and consider adjusting their travel plans and/or routes if possible.
Following the paving of the eastbound Express Lanes, crews will begin final paving for the future Express Lanes on I-66 West in late June. An estimated one million tons of asphalt will be laid in 2022 as part of the final paving for the new I-66 Express Lanes and general-purpose lanes between Route 29 in Gainesville and the I-495 Interchange.
All work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled if inclement conditions occur.
The Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project will provide new travel choices and congestion relief across a 22.5-mile stretch of I-66 from Route 29 in Gainesville to the I-495 Interchange. Improvements include new Express Lanes, more than 4,000 new park-and-ride spaces with convenient access to the Express Lanes, new and improved bus service and transit routes, interchange improvements, and 11 miles of new bike and pedestrian trails. Construction began in late 2017 with the Express Lanes slated to open later this year.
