Interstate 66 may be clogged with traffic much of the time, but now drivers can know just how bad the wait will be.
Starting on Aug. 22, the highway will have three electronic message signs between Gainesville and the Capital Beltway showing estimated travel times, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office said Tuesday.
The signs are similar to ones added to the Maryland side of the Beltway last spring. Both use traffic data from Inrix, then give information on how many minutes a driver can expect to travel a certain distance.
The travel times on I-66 are slated to be displayed from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. The data will be refreshed every five minutes.
The signs will be located at:
- I-66 East, just east of Route 28, to display the travel time to I-495.
- I-66 West, just west of Route 50, to display the travel time to Gainesville.
- I-66 West, just west of Route 7100, to display the travel time to Gainesville.
The project is the latest attempt to ease the way for commuters on the busy highway. Offiiclals also have allowed cars to drive on the shoulders during rush hour and have installed ramp traffic meters in both directions to stagger the flow of traffic onto the highway.
