Friday, May 22, 2015

VDOT Lifts Lane Closures over Memorial Day Holiday

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will suspend most highway work zones for several days over the Memorial Day holiday travel period to limit congestion and provide as many travel lanes as possible.
 
VDOT will lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon today, Friday, May 22, to noon Tuesday, May 26.
 
Travel Trend Map Shows When, Where to Avoid Peak Congestion
VDOT can help you avoid peak congestion times during the Memorial Day travel period. You can plan your arrival and departure times over the five-day travel period by using VDOT's map of past travel trends for Virginia interstates.
 
VDOT has a map online that shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Memorial Day weekends (2012-2014). The travel-trend map is available on the Virginia Roads website, located at www.virginiaroads.org (lower right on bottom of home page).
 
The map indicates varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion. To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top of the map to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.
 
Based on the traffic data, periods of heavy congestion on the most recent Memorial Day weekends was most likely to occur between noon and 7 p.m. on Friday and Monday. Historically, heavy congestion is present on Interstate 95 southbound and Interstate 64 eastbound from Saturday morning to Saturday afternoon. While the map shows trends for delays during the most recent Memorial Day holidays, it cannot precisely predict congestion levels for this year's five-day travel period.
 
Northern Virginia High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Schedule Information
  • Friday, May 22: Normal HOV-3 restrictions are in effect. Interstate 395 and 95 Express Lanes reversible lanes will be southbound starting at noon.
  • Saturday, May 23: I-395 reversible lanes and 95 Express Lanes remain southbound until 2 p.m. and switch to northbound by 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 24: I-395 reversible lanes and 95 Express Lanes will be closed from 7 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m. for the Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride. When the lanes re-open, they will remain northbound for the remainder of the day.
  • Monday, May 25: HOV restrictions on Interstate 66 and I-395 are lifted. I-395 reversible lanes and 95 Express Lanes remain northbound all day.
 
More information on Northern Virginia HOV schedules can be found at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.asp.
 
For information on 95 Express Lanes and 495 Express Lanes, visit www.expresslanes.com. Drivers are reminded that they need an E-ZPass Flex (for HOV-3 to ride toll-free) or an E-ZPass to use the lanes at all times.
 
VDOT encourages all motorists to do their part to prevent highway crashes this Memorial Day weekend by following these safety tips while driving:
  • Buckle up
  • Avoid distractions
  • Share the road
  • Drive drug- and alcohol-free
  • Obey speed limits
 
To report a road hazard or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT's Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.

 
 

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