More of what moves you: the 495 Express Lanes Extension is opening soon!
An extra helping of predictability on the Beltway in Virginia
The Extension will expand the current northbound and southbound 495 Express Lanes through McLean to before the American Legion Bridge, bringing faster travels closer to Maryland. The George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Dulles Toll Road will both connect to the new Extension.
More options, no matter how you move
With a new tie-in to the southbound Express Lanes from the George Washington Memorial Parkway and a new route from the Dulles Toll Road to the northbound Express Lanes, the Extension will enable carpooling and bus transit opportunities to reach new employment centers and other destinations.
Whether a seasoned I-495 veteran or recent Express Lanes customer, this Extension will bring changes to the Beltway and it’s important to plan for its opening.
Using the 495 Express Lanes Extension
Virginia or Maryland bound, whether solo, bus or carpool, the Extension will connect seamlessly to and work just like the current Express Lanes. Pricing signs will show the cost to travel to the northern end of the 495 Express Lanes near Maryland, or the southern end near Springfield.
Since the new northbound Express Lanes will run almost to Maryland, customers on the Lanes should remember that it will no longer be possible to merge from the Lanes directly to Georgetown Pike.
Getting on and off the Lanes
Just like today, going between the regular lanes and Express Lanes on I-495 will be easy. The entry to go south on the Express Lanes will still be from the far left but customers should remember to decide whether to take the regular or Express Lanes while traveling over the American Legion Bridge.
Since the Extension will expand the current Express Lanes almost to Maryland, drivers who today go between Georgetown Pike and the Express Lanes should remember to find a new route. To get to Georgetown Pike from the Lanes, exit to the George Washington Memorial Parkway and head toward Route 123 southbound. To get on the Extension from Georgetown Pike, head toward the Dulles Toll Road and go eastbound.
Northbound customers on the Extension will pay the same toll to exit to the regular lanes or the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
New ramps from the Dulles Toll Road east and west will carry traffic to the northbound 495 Express Lanes. The existing ramps between the Dulles Toll Road and the Express Lanes will remain open.
Ride for free
Buses and HOV-3 carpools always ride for free. Carpoolers, just don’t forget an E-ZPass Flex and only set it to HOV ON when there are at least three people in the car.
For carpool options, visit our friends at Commuter Connections or check out park and ride lots in Virginia or Maryland.
With more Express Lanes to ride on, Fairfax Connector’s Route 798 between Tysons and Bethesda is about to get a faster commute. Find your bus ride here.
More than the Express Lanes
Transurban, the future operator of the Extension, is one of the world's largest mobility partners, working to get people where they want to go, as quickly and safely as possible.
We have decades of experience collaborating with partners to deliver megaprojects that revitalize dynamic urban centers and enable governments to deliver long-term mobility solutions for less.
That’s why the Extension includes:
- A shared-use pedestrian and bicycle path along the project corridor that will open by mid-2026
- An annual $2.2 million transit subsidy funded from toll revenues to support bus travel between Fairfax County and Montgomery County
- Delivering modernized infrastructure by replacing or upgrading 7 bridges benefiting even those who never travel I-495
- Rehabilitated regular lanes on the Beltway along the project corridor
- New and replacement noise walls in project-adjacent communities
- A win for the watershed with new stormwater management facilities and a major stream restoration at Scotts Run
Learn more about our approach and how we have helped grow one of the largest networks of managed lanes in the country at www.transurban.com.