The creation of high-occupancy toll lanes along the Capital Beltway will pump $2.7 billion into the Washington area’s economy through 2013 and preserve thousands of jobs, according to a George Mason University study commissioned by the project’s contractor.

The report from GMU’s Center for Regional Analysis outlines a broad economic benefit from the $1.5 billion construction of two new toll lanes along each direction of Interstate 495 between Springfield and the Dulles Toll Road.