Controversial Beltway project shouldn’t be priority The proposed Tri-County highway is a new outer beltway. It’s expensive, it doesn’t relieve traffic on Interstates 95 or 66 or on the Beltway, and by opening new areas to development, it makes commuting traffic worse, not better. It would connect I-95 in Prince William County to Route 50 in Loudoun with an ultimate goal of connecting into Maryland. After a long battle, it looks like the Virginia General Assembly will approve Gov. Bob McDonnell’s borrow-and-spend transportation plan.
The governor’s plan does not include an outer beltway — but behind the scenes it’s a different story. In a meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board last week, the governor’s Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton and two CTB members announced a renewed effort to prioritize the Tri-County highway.
