VDOT News - Northern Virginia

WOODBRIDGE – The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a virtual design public hearing tonight, Oct. 27 and an in-person, by appointment only, design public hearing Thursday, Oct. 28 on plans to construct a south-facing, reversible ramp between the 95 Express Lanes and an expanded Opitz Boulevard (Route 2000) bridge. The ramp will be built in the existing median between the southbound I-95 general purpose lanes and the 95 Express Lanes.

In addition, the existing slip ramp from the southbound I-95 general purpose lanes to the southbound 95 Express Lanes just beyond Opitz Boulevard will be relocated to just south of the Dale Boulevard (Route 784) interchange.

The project will be implemented with oversight from VDOT and in partnership with Transurban, who will design, construct and maintain the project. The project improvements are funded by Transurban, with VDOT oversight funded by the Commonwealth.

Within the project limits, I-95 averages about 201,000 vehicles a day and Opitz Boulevard averages about 30,000 based on 2019 data.

Get Involved

VDOT invites residents and travelers to learn more, participate in the virtual hearing and give feedback in the following ways through Tuesday, Nov. 30:  

• Attend the Wednesday, Oct. 27 online Join the hearing via WebEx (link and details at virginiadot.org/95ExpressOpitzRamp), or to participate in listen-only mode, call 866-692-4530 (use access code 2433-414-5405) or watch via VDOT’s Live You Tube Channel (find link at virginiadot.org/95ExpressOpitz Ramp). The project team will make a presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by a formal comment session. Afterwards, a question and answer period will be offered.
• Provide comments via the online survey or by email to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov.
• Mail comments to Mr. Rimpal Shah, P.E., Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

For people who are unable to participate in the virtual public hearing, VDOT will hold a by-appointment-only, in-person hearing on Thursday, Oct. 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College, Woodbridge Campus, Woodbridge Arts and Science Building, 2645 College Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22191 (free parking is available in Lot B). There will be a presentation, and project staff will be available to answer questions and receive public comments. CDC-recommended health measures, including mask requirements and social distancing will be in place. Reservations are required to attend, please call 703-691-6715 to make a reservation.

Meeting materials and the presentation will be available online at virginiadot.org/95ExpressOpitzRamp, including the recorded presentation after the meeting.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 23 CFR 771, an environmental document in the form of a Categorical Exclusion (CE) was prepared for the 95 Express Lanes/Opitz Boulevard Ramp project, and has been approved for public review by the Federal Highway Administration. Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR 800, information concerning the potential effects of the proposed improvements on historic properties is also included in the CE. The 95 Express Lanes/Opitz Boulevard Ramp project will involve a change in limited access control. The CE and appendices are available online at virginiadot.org/95ExpressOpitzRamp.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT Civil Rights at 703-259-1775.

Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova

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Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.