Washington-area commuters whose nerves are already stretched to their limits by their usual commutes are bracing for this summer’s onslaught of road construction projects, which just may push some over the edge.
For the first time in recent memory, all three jurisdictions have a heavier-than-usual project load for major improvements — and as if that weren’t enough, many of those projects are on main commuter arteries into the District.
“We’ve had some rough years before but this one … is one of the busiest construction seasons we’ve had in a long time,” said Joan Morris, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
| Major projects to hit thousands of commuters | |||
| What | Daily drivers* | Cost | Start/Finish |
| 1. ICC/Route 29 interchange | 63,480 | $513.9m** | 2008/Late 2011 |
| 2. Randolph Road at Georgia Ave. | 41,000 | $62.5m | 2011/TBD |
| 3. Rte. 355/Bethesda Naval | 43,500 | $34.1m | 2008/Late 2011 |
| 4. I-495 HOT lanes | 84,000 | $1.4b | July 2008/Late 2012 |
| 5. New York Avenue Bridge | 87,000 | N/A | April 2011/Mid-2013 |
| 6. Constitution Ave., 15th-23rd | 46,800 | N/A | April 2011/Late 2013 |
| 7. 14th Street Bridge | 179,300 | $27m | April 2009/Oct. 2011 |
| 8.11th Street Bridge | 95,800 | $300m | Dec. 2009/Summer 2013 |
| 9. I-66 at I-495 | 91,000 | $38m | April 2011/Late 2012 |
| 10. I-95 expansion (Va.) | 102,000 | $123m | March 2008/Late 2011 |
| *Estimated using state traffic count data | |||
| **For third leg of ICC construction | |||
Nneka Jenkins, an account executive at Kaiser Permanente in Rockville, commutes from Laurel using Columbia Pike/Route 29. But with the Intercounty Connector construction in full swing, confusion and delays are starting to take their toll.
“It is completely frustrating and the only way to deal with it is to add time, even on the weekends,” she said.
Ken Frager, who commutes to Bethesda from north of Baltimore, spends at least five hours in his car daily. He’s already feeling the effects from construction related to the Army relocation to the National Naval Medical Center, which has added at least 10 minutes to the end of his commute.
But after surviving the Capital Beltway, which he called the bane of his commute, what’s a few more minutes tacked on to a three-hour trip?
“It’s not going to get any better,” he said. “But I love my job.”
Commuting in Washington on any given day is a headache most outsiders wouldn’t put up with. But this summer, the pain of 10 major road projects throughout the area will test even the most hardened of commuters.
14th Street Bridge rehabilitation
This project is in the seventh of eight phases of lane reroutes, the most recent of which prompted a clarification email from the District Department of Transportation after chaos ensued on the bridge.
The project includes repairs to the northbound and southbound bridges — and tests the patience of nearly 180,000 commuters daily.
11th Street Bridge project
No more odd turnarounds to get into the District from Interstate 295 — workers are replacing the two existing bridges with two freeway bridges and a local access bridge for better connection into the city. But the gain won’t come without the pain of lane closures on the heavily traveled bridge.
I-495 HOT lanes expansion and Dulles Rail construction
Commuters who think the existing Beltway construction in Tysons Corner is bad haven’t seen anything yet. Beginning in May, workers began shifting high-occupancy toll lanes from the median to the outer lanes and rebuilding more than 50 bridges and overpasses. Outer lane construction begins in Tysons Corner in May and will stretch to Braddock Road by summer’s end.
I-66 repaving
Workers began repaving roughly seven miles of the highway in April, but happily construction is taking place only at night. Of course, drivers aren’t home free.
“We try to coordinate these projects within VDOT so that [we’re] not causing terrific backups,” Morris said. “But [if you’re traveling at night], you could get hit by I-95 north and the Beltway and I-66 in one trip.”
Fairfax County Parkway and I-95 expansion
Transportation officials know that I-95 in Northern Virginia is unbearable during rush hour — that’s why they’re adding additional lanes between Woodbridge and Newington. But adding to the activity is roadwork on the Fairfax County Parkway, a major feeder to I-95 and the only access point for the roughly 19,300 additional employees transitioning to the military base this fall.
Columbia Pike at Briggs Chaney
Workers are completing Intercounty Connector interchanges over heavily traveled Route 29 and Briggs Chaney Road while rerouting cars and closing off nearby roads, changing traffic patterns and exits that haven’t changed in a generation.
BRAC construction and Route 355 resurfacing
New security entrances are being constructed at the National Naval Medical Center while resurfacing is planned farther south on Route 355 as the already congested area is bracing for thousands of new employees and patients after Walter Reed closes. Greg Welker, deputy administrator and chief operations engineer for the Maryland State Highway Association and chief engineer, said the timing of BRAC and the ICC this year created an unusually high number of major projects in Maryland.
New York Avenue Bridge
DDOT says there’s no way around it — two lanes on New York Avenue must stay closed at all times while it makes repairs to the major downtown artery. Construction began in April and is expected to take two years.
Constitution Avenue
Repaving began on this heavily traveled road and tourist thoroughfare in April, and officials have said it’s possible that just two lanes will be open during some rush hours. But on the plus side, drivers get great views of the monuments while stuck in traffic — as long as a tourmobile isn’t idling on the roadside.
Georgia Avenue at Randolph Road
Utility work is winding down at this major east-west interchange in Montgomery County, but hang tight — the often-clogged intersection is being changed from a traditional intersection with traffic lights into a cloverleaf to ease congestion and better connect it to the Glenmont Metro station.
