Virginia DOT announced the schedule for installation of “five lines of massive steel girders extending 295-feet in length across northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) for a new express lanes ramp that will connect the Dulles Toll Road to northbound I-495.” Weather permitting, the operation — VDOT is calling it “Big Beam Weekend” — will take place between Friday night, January 24, and early Monday morning, January 27. Due to the scale of work and the lane closures it will require, the department is urging motorists to avoid the area over the entire weekend. Work zone maps and information on detour planning are available online.
Lane Construction is building the ramp as part of the $660 million I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project. The extension, scheduled to open late this year, is a public-private initiative under development by VDOT and Transurban.