Virginia has plans to fix the traffic nightmare expected at Mark Center, the Pentagon’s new office building in Alexandria, but the state needs more time to complete the work, according to Gov. Bob McDonnell. In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on May 6, the governor asked the Pentagon to partially delay the shift of 6,400 defense workers to the Mark Center, a move that by law must be completed by Sept. 15. The move is a part of the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closure program.

The Army agreed to spend $20 million on short-term transportation improvements around the Mark Center site, located near the already congested intersection of Interstate 395 and Seminary Road. And the Virginia Department of Transportation will spend $80 million on a new off-ramp from the interstate’s high-occupancy vehicle lanes. But construction will take three to five years and none of these changes will be complete before workers move to the site.