Beltway Basics

The Capital Beltway is considered to be the region's Main Street.

Opened in 1964 with two lanes in each direction, the Beltway is a 64-mile circumferential serving the metropolitan Washington area. The Virginia portion from the American Legion Bridge to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is 22 miles long with four lanes in each direction.

Segments of the Virginia portion carry more than 225,000 vehicles per day. By 2020 projected volumes could exceed 400,000 vehicles per day on some sections.

Capital Beltway travel trend information in the draft EIS includes the following:

Trip Characteristics: Most Beltway Trips Are Local

Most trips are short-distance and local, not long distance and through.
More than 75% of trips using this section begin or end in Fairfax County.
30%-40% of all trips between I-95/395 and the Dulles Toll Road begin or end within two miles of the Beltway.

Beltway Has Not Been Widened for more than 25 years

The last major expansion or improvement was completed in 1974.
Since then Northern Virginia has added more than 1,000,000 people and 750,000 vehicles.
Daily Beltway traffic has tripled.

Trip Volumes: Increases of up to 45% projected

Current Trips/Day: 180,000 – 240,000
2020 Trips/Day: 220,000 – 317,000

Congestion Levels: High and Increasing

A.M. and P.M. rush hour Beltway congestion now exceeds three hours. Accidents and weather lengthen considerably that average.
Without major improvement congested conditions expand to 18 hours/day by 2020.

Travel Speeds and Times: Peak Hour Travel Speeds Will Decline/Times Increase

Inner loop A.M. peak hour and outer loop P.M. peak hours speeds are now less than 20 mph.
By 2020 travel time between Springfield and Tysons will double; travel time from Tysons to Bethesda will increase by 110%.