- Fairfax Leaders Welcome Proposed Two-Way Express Lanes On I-95
- Express Lane Construction Continues In San Bernardino And Riverside Counties
- IBTTA And PIARC Execute MOU To Advance Knowledge And Innovation Sharing
- Fitch Experts Will Explore Infrastructure Finance Trends During Wednesday Webinar
- UK Councilor Claims His Suggestion To Toll M65 Wasn't Serious
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Fairfax Leaders Welcome Proposed Two-Way Express Lanes On I-95
Leaders in Fairfax County, Virginia, have welcomed a proposal by Virginia DOT and Transurban to convert the existing, reversible express lanes on I-95 into o a 45-mile, bi-directional network, FFXnow reports. The 95 Express Lanes Bi-Directional Project is estimated to cost $4.5 billion.
“The proposal calls for three express lanes in each direction from the Franconia-Springfield Parkway south to the Prince William Parkway. From there, two lanes in each direction would run to the southern portion of the project, which would be extended 10 miles from U.S. Route 17 to the Spotsylvania Parkway.”
According to Krishna Potturi, VDOT’s recently appointed mega projects director, planning is still at an early stage and a public information campaign will take place next year. Feasibility studies would follow, with the project finalized in late 2028 and construction to start in the early 2030s.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said the reversible lanes currently operated by Transurban are “probably the biggest mistake ever made in Virginia’s interstate -highway system.” He welcomed the proposal for a bidirectional facility, provided it is designed to disincentivize toll avoidance that would contribute to increased traffic on local roads.
Express Lane Construction Continues In San Bernardino And Riverside Counties
Work is progressing on two projects to construct express lanes on I-10 and I-15, which connect Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, The San Bernardino Sun reports. According to a study by the American Transportation Research Institute, the interchange between the two freeways is one of the top 10 most critical truck bottlenecks in the nation.
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) has begun Phase 2 of its $963 million, 33-mile dynamically priced I-10 Express Lanes (I-10 Corridor) project. Phase 1, opened in August 2024, has generated About $46 million in revenue. According to an agency spokesperson, customer feedback surveys indicate high satisfaction among drivers, who give the facility a score of 4.6 out of 5 points.
Phase 2 is creating an 11-mile extension and adding three eastbound and adding three eastbound auxiliary lanes and one westbound auxiliary lane. Following its completion, scheduled for March 2029, Phase 3 will extend the express lanes another 12 miles.
Meanwhile, SBCTA is collaborating with the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) on the I-15 Express Lanes project to construct eight miles of tolled express lanes in the median of I-15. These will connect to RCTC’s existing toll roads.
The article details ongoing construction schedules and nighttime lane and ramp closures associated with both projects.
IBTTA And PIARC Execute MOU To Advance Knowledge And Innovation Sharing
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and PIARC – World Road Association announced a new memorandum of understanding on September 25 at IBTTA’s 2026 Global Tolling Summit in Montreal, according to an IBTTA news release.
The agreement expands the global reach of both IBTTA and the Paris-based nonprofit PIARC, founded in 1909 as a knowledge-sharing forum related to roads and road transport. PIARC’s nearly 3,000 members span 125 countries.
“Together, the organizations will create new opportunities to share technical expertise, elevate proven practices and connect practitioners across priority areas including tolling and road pricing, safety and resilience, emerging technology, infrastructure sustainability, and workforce and leadership development,” IBTTA stated.
“The challenges reshaping road transportation — from funding and resilience to digitalization, safety and emerging technology — are increasingly global, and no single country or organization has all the answers,’” said PIARC President Emanuela Stocchi, who also is a past president of IBTTA. “This partnership connects PIARC’s worldwide technical community with the real-world experience of IBTTA’s operators and industry leaders. That combination gives us an important opportunity to move knowledge across borders and turn shared experience into better solutions for road networks and the people who rely on them.”
IBTTA President Joi Taylor Dean said, “Our strategic plan is clear about the value of stronger connections, and my theme, Driving What’s Next, is about turning those connections into investment, impact and influence.”
An IBTTA initiative to expand its network has already produced relationships with the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). Additional partnerships are expected to be announced by the end of this year.
Fitch Experts Will Explore Infrastructure Finance Trends During Wednesday Webinar
On Wednesday morning, September 30, Scott Zuchorski, Fitch Ratings’ Global Head of Infrastructure and Project Finance, will host a webinar, “Inside Infrastructure: New Assets, Emerging Structures and the Evolving Credit Continuum,” to discuss how infrastructure finance is evolving as new asset classes, investment needs, and financing structures reshape the market.
The topics covered will be the evolving credit continuum between corporate and project finance; new assets and emerging financing structures; digital infrastructure and energy-transition assets (Infrastructure 2.0); and key credit considerations for investors in a changing infrastructure landscape.
Scott will be joined by his Fitch colleagues Sajal Kishore, head of EMEA and APAC, and Christiane Kuti, head of EMEA energy infrastructure.
The webinar will include a live question and answer session. It starts at 8:00 AM EDT (1:00 PM BST, 2:00 PM CEST). Click here to register.
UK Councilor Claims His Suggestion To Toll M65 Wasn't Serious
A local government councillor in Burnley, outside Manchester, England, claims his recent suggestion that the county toll a six-mile stretch of the M65 motorway was not serious, BBC News reports.
Although most of the M65 is managed by the UK’s National Highways agency, the segment in question is managed by Lancashire County Council. When discussing the chronically flooded commuter route at a recent committee meeting, councillor Joel Tetlow reportedly said, “We need to look outside the box and do something a little bit different than just what we’ve always been doing.”
His suggestion of establishing a GBP 0.50 (USD 66 cents) to GBP 1 (USD 1.33) toll was met with outrage. Tetlow’s own Reform Party gave assurances that it had no intention of supporting tolling of the roadway. An opposition leader described the idea as “bonkers” and “absolutely crazy.”
Tetlow now claims the suggestion was simply meant to spark discussion about how to fund an estimated GBP 15 million (USD 19.9 million) in drainage work.
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