I-66 Outside the Beltway
(Updated March 2012)
Alliance Position:
Rehabilitate exisiting road foundation and upgrade to new multi-modal facility with additional conventional lanes and rail extension right-of-way.
The Corridor:
Interstate 66 stretches 76-miles from the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge in the District of Columbia to I-81 near Winchester. Virginia segments west of the Beltway were completed between 1958 and 1964.
The Problem: A Crisis in the Making
Most of the pavement is 40 years old. It’s not simply a matter of resurfacing. The foundation is crumbling. A pavement rehabilitation project is underway (see below), but this simply postpones the need for reconstruction.
The only practical way to keep at least three lanes open during reconstruction is to construct new lanes, ultimately expanding the total number of lanes available. This will require acquisition of additional right of way and trigger the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
A Tier I EIS is now underway. A draft EIS is expected to be available in July 2012 and the final Tier I EIS is expected to be completed by June 2013.
To visit the project website, click here.
I-66 TIER 1 EIS (I-495-Rt. 15)
On June 14, 2010, the Virginia Department of Transportation transferred the managment of the I-66 Tier I Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) study from VDOT's Northern Virginia District office to VDOT's Central Office in Richmond. The study is expected to cost $6 million.
The EIS study will identify transportation issues on I-66, anticipated future conditions, and identify the environmental impacts of potential fixes along the corridor. This study will include public involvement before a decision on suggested improvements to the corridor is made.
The I-66 EIS study team has collected and is compiling environmental resource data into GIS mapping. The team is indentifying transportation needs for the corridor and will incorporate them into a formal statement of Purpose and Need. Traffic data from previous studies as well as available traffic/accident data from VDOT, Fairfax and Prince William Counties has also been collected. A public meeting was held on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 in Manassas and Thursday, February 2, 2012 at VDOT’s NOVA office. The study is expected to be completed July 2012.
The complete I-66 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Study, including the EIS, is expected to take about 32 months at a cost of $20.3 million.
1999 Major Investment Study
For more on the 1995-1999 major investment study of the I-66 corridor between the Capital Beltway and Rt. 15 in Haymarket, click here.
Current Status: I-66 Pavement Rehabilitation (Capital Beltway to Route 50)
On April 2, 2011, the Virginia Department of Transportation began a pavement rehabilitation project along 6.5 miles of I-66 between the Capital Beltway and Route 50 in Fairfax County.
Work will be conducted between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Work includes concrete patching and asphalt overlay on the east and west bound mainline and ramps, and upgrades to concrete barriers and guardrails.
The project cost $48 million.
Completion: October 2012
Active Traffic Management (ATM)
Design-Build project delivery of phased deliverables including gantry structures, lane/shoulder control display, queue/incident detectors, robust CCTV coverage, queue/speed warning DMS for lane/shoulder control, responsive incident management, emergency areas with detection/surveillance to enhance mobility/safety.
For more information from VDOT on this project, click here.
Current Status: HOV and General Purpose Lanes (US 15-US 29 near Gainesville)
A project to widen and construct HOV lanes and an additional general purpose lane between US 15 (James Madison Highway) and US 29 (Lee Highway) in Gainesville has been advanced as part of Governor McDonnell's transportation program.
The 2.5 mile capacity improvement is currently included in the region's CLRP. The project also includes phased improvements to the interchanges at I-66/Rt.15 interchange. Project engineering of preliminary plans has just started and a project delivery schedule is under development.
The project cost is $89.7 million, broken down as follows:
- Preliminary Engineering: $6.6 million
- Right-of-Way: $5 million
- Construction: $78.1 milllion
Schedule:
- Advertise design/build project: mid-2012
- Begin constructiond: 2013
- Complete construction: 2015
Current Status: I-66/Route 15 Interchange
Construction of a semi-directional ramp to facilitate southbound Route 15 traffic to eastbound
I-66 with modifications to existing ramp terminals.
Project cost - $78 million, broken down as follows:
- Preliminary Engineering: $6 million
- Right-of-Way aquisition and utility relocation: $10 million
- Construction: $62 milllion
Schedule:
- Design approval: 2013
- Advertise project (anticipated design/build): 2013
- Begin construction: 2014
Current Status: I-66 Vienna Metro Access Ramp
A bus-only ramp will be constructed from the east and westbound HOV lanes of I-66 to Vaden Street near the Vienna Metro Station. This project is in the design phase.
- Advertise for construction: January 2014
- Cost estimate: $40.2 million