Beginning Friday night, October 3, at 9 p.m., and continuing until Sunday morning, October 5, at approximately 9 a.m., drivers traveling on southbound I-495 in the McLean area should expect significant lane and ramp closures. The affected stretch runs from the American Legion Memorial Bridge to Lewinsville Road.
The closures are part of ongoing work for the 495 NEXT project. Crews will shift the general-purpose lanes on southbound I-495 into their final alignment and reopen right-hand shoulders along much of the corridor. After this weekend’s work, the on-ramp from Georgetown Pike to southbound I-495 will become an extended acceleration lane, providing motorists with a longer merge area onto I-495.
If weather or other delays occur, these closures will be rescheduled for the following weekend, from Friday night, October 10, through Sunday morning, October 12.
Specific closure times include:
– From 9 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday: A single lane closure will start at 9 p.m., expanding to three closed lanes by 10 p.m. Traffic stoppages up to thirty minutes may take place before 7:30 a.m. Three lanes are expected to reopen by 8 a.m., with one lane remaining closed.
– Ramps near the southbound I-495 and Georgetown Pike Interchange—including ramps from George Washington Memorial Parkway to southbound I-495; from southbound I-495 to Georgetown Pike (Exit 44); and from Georgetown Pike to southbound I-495—will be closed and detoured during nighttime hours as work progresses.
– From 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday: The far-right lane of southbound I-495 will be closed between George Washington Memorial Parkway and Lewinsville Road. Access to exits will remain available.
– From 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday: Another sequence of lane closures begins with one lane at first, increasing up to three lanes by late evening Saturday. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by Sunday morning.
During construction periods adjacent to both northbound and southbound I-495 lanes, VDOT and its partner Transurban have launched a public education campaign titled “Closer Than You Think.” According to the release, “The ‘Closer Than You Think’ campaign, a play on the familiar rearview mirror label, is using radio and social media ads to remind motorists that crews are working in very close proximity to traffic and to drive with heightened caution.”
Drivers are urged by officials: “When traveling through work zones, drivers are reminded to always slow down, eliminate distractions, and pay attention to signs about closures and detours.”
Travelers can find updates on traffic conditions or incidents online at https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/, through the free mobile app https://www.511virginia.org/mobile/ or by calling 511 within Virginia. Additional information about construction activities can be found at https://495next.vdot.virginia.gov/.
