January 13, 2025
Weekend-long travel impacts on Beltway near Tysons and at I-495/Dulles Corridor interchange; motorists urged to plan ahead and stay away
FAIRFAX — Crews are preparing to install five lines of massive steel girders extending 295-feet in length across northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) for a new express lanes ramp that will connect the Dulles Toll Road to northbound I-495. This major bridge girder operation - the Big Beam Weekend - is scheduled to occur Friday night, January 24 through early Monday morning, January 27, and will impact travel significantly on northbound I-495 near Tysons and at the I-495 and Dulles Corridor interchange area. Motorists are urged to STAY AWAY throughout the weekend as northbound I-495 will be reduced from six to two lanes near Tysons, and multiple ramps at the I-495 and Dulles Corridor interchange will be closed and detoured. In the event of inclement weather, the Big Beam Weekend will be rescheduled for the following weekend, Jan. 31 through Feb. 3.
Specifically, traffic on northbound I-495 will be reduced from six lanes (four general- purpose and two express) to two lanes for about a one-mile stretch near Tysons during the entire Big Beam Weekend. The two open lanes will function as non-tolled, general- purpose lanes and be open to all traffic. Motorists should stay alert to lane reductions and traffic shifts that will be in place for approximately three miles beginning at the Route 7 interchange until just past Lewinsville Road (north of Route 267).
Additionally, the ramp from eastbound Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Airport Access Highway to northbound I-495, as well as westbound Dulles Toll Road under I-495, will be closed and detoured. The Dulles Airport Access Highway will remain open throughout the Big Beam Weekend; however, airport travelers are encouraged to allow extra time to get to Dulles International Airport due to the surrounding traffic impacts.
Motorists are urged to stay away from northbound I-495 in Virginia the entire weekend of January 24-27 and should choose alternate routes. If travel through the area is unavoidable, drivers should expect delays and traffic backups. To inform local and long-distance travelers about the Big Beam Weekend-lane closures and detours, messaging on roadway signs will be deployed in advance throughout the directly impacted area and on major outlying corridors such as Interstates 95 and 81. Click here to view maps showing closures and traffic impacts.
To plan ahead and stay informed about the Big Beam Weekend, affected travelers should check VA 511 online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, on the mobile app., or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia. Travelers are also encouraged to sign up for email alerts at 495next.vdot.virginia.gov.
About the Big Beam Weekend
Five lines of steel girders (made up of 10 beams) will be lifted over northbound I-495 to support a new express lanes ramp as part of the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project. Each girder is 11-feet tall by 3-feet wide, and weighs between 70 to 80 tons. Beams are being delivered by truck to a staging area lying flat, due to their size, and must be stood upright by cranes upon arrival.
During the Big Beam Weekend, beams will be hoisted by cranes and secured into place. This critical work cannot be done overtop traffic and requires lane closures to be in place. Typically, this type of planned construction occurs during nighttime hours or non-peak travel times to limit impacts to the traveling public. However, due to the magnitude of the Big Beam operation – the largest girders to be installed on the 495 NEXT project – an extended work period is necessary for the safety of travelers and workers alike.
About 495 NEXT Project:
The $660 million 495 NEXT project is a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Transurban. Lane Construction is the lead design-build contractor, with Shirley Contracting Company building the improvements and express lanes access at the I-495 and Dulles Corridor interchange. The 495 NEXT project is building a 2.5-mile extension of the 495 Express Lanes including new connections at the Dulles Corridor and the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchanges. The project includes additional benefits and features such as replacement or rehabilitation of seven bridges, new and replacement upgraded noise walls, and four miles of new bicycle and pedestrian connections. Construction began in March 2022, with the new extended lanes scheduled to open in late 2025, followed by final project completion in mid-2026.
For more information please contact: Michelle Holland at michelle.holland@vdot.virginia.gov or 703-586-0487