Ramps From 66 East to 495 to Close Friday Night

Drivers traveling on I-66 east after 9 p.m. Friday night will have to find a different route to access I-495, as ramps to the Beltway close overnight for a major traffic shift.

Virginia Department of Transportation officials said both exits from I-66 east to 495 north, along with three lanes on the northbound side of the Beltway, will close from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday as crews prepare to shift traffic to a new I-66 east flyover ramp.

The shift will allow eastbound motorists to exit I-66 onto the new flyover ramp and enter 495 from the right side, eliminating the current left lane merge, the department said in a statement. 
 
The overnight work will also include extending the 495 right-lane drop near the new flyover ramp by 500 feet.

The closure and new pattern is part of the Capital Beltway High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes Project. By next fall, the project will add a fifth lane along the 66/495 merger area of the Beltway. 

VDOT said detours would be in place Friday to direct drivers around the closure.