Interstate 495 south (outer) enters Fairfax County, Virginia over the south banks of the Potomac River. The Exit 43 trumpet interchange with George Washington Memorial Parkway lies nearby, followed by the Exit 44 diamond interchange with Virginia 193 (Georgetown Pike). Washington Parkway ventures southeast to Arlington County, Rosslyn, and Reagan National Airport. Georgetown Pike travels an easterly route to Langley and Virginia 123 (Chain Bridge Road). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Motorists are advised of the 495 ExpressLanes beginning two miles south of the Maryland state line. The HOT (High Occupancy Toll lanes) line the middle of the Capital Beltway from McLean to Springfield. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Use of the 495 ExpressLanes requires an EZPass transponder. Commercial trucks are prohibited from the two lane roadway. Photo taken 12/30/12.
George Washington Parkway travelers depart Interstate 495 south after the Potomac River bridge. The National Park Service maintained facility generally follows the Potomac southward to Arlington, Alexandria, and Mt. Vernon. Photo taken 12/30/12.
The 495 ExpressLanes are free to HOV-3 eligible motorists equipped with an EZPass Flex transponder. All other drivers are charged tolls that vary on time of day, levels of traffic and distance traveled. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Live Oak Drive passes over Interstate 495 between Exits 43 and 44. Virginia 193 meets Interstate 495 at a diamond interchange near Scotts Run Nature Preserve north of McLean. The state route travels 11.79 miles between Virginia 7 at Dranesville and Virginia 123 at Langley. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 44 departs the Capital Beltway as the c/d roadway from Exit 43 returns. Virginia 193 (Georgetown Pike) westbound leads to Fairview. Virginia Secondary 686 (Balls Hill Road) stems south from Georgetown Pike nearby to McLean. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Additional reminders of the pending split with the 495 ExpressLanes reside by the SR 193 on-ramp. The HOT lanes of Interstate 495 opened to traffic on November 17, 2012. The tolled element of the Capital Beltway carries two lanes per direction with limited ingress and egress points. First photo taken 12/30/12. Second photo taken 12/30/12.
Dynamic message signs display the toll rates for the 495 ExpressLanes. All ramps from the HOT lanes depart independent of the I-495 mainline. The first three of those ramps serve Tysons Corner over the next 2.25 miles. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Upcoming exits sign highlighting the distances to Dulles Access & Toll Roads (Exit 45) and Virginia 123 (Exit 46). The Dulles Access Road (Hirst Brault Expressway) provides the movement from I-495 south to Interstate 66 east. Photo taken 12/30/12.
1.5 miles north of the directional interchange (Exits 45B/A) with Virginia 267 (Hirst Brault Expressway) and the Dulles Access Road. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 45A departs the mainline after the split with the 495 ExpressLanes for Virginia 267 (Dulles Airport & Toll Road) west. Dulles Access Road constitutes a direct and uninterrupted freeway between Interstate 66 and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Virginia 267 utilizes the parallel Toll Road along side the Access Road to Loudon County. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 south splits with the 495 ExpressLanes beyond the Old Dominion Drive overpass. The Capital Beltway expands to 12 overall lanes with the addition of four HOT lanes. Photo taken 12/30/12.
The first set of transponder readers lie above the 495 ExpressLanes southbound beginning. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 45A leaves the 495 ExpressLanes and I-495 mainline simultaneously for Virginia 267 (Dulles Airport & Toll Road) west. Use SR 267 west for Wolf Trap Farm Park, Reston and Herndon.
A left-hand ramp follows on the HOT lanes for Jones Branch Drive to Westpark at Tysons Corner. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Two lanes part ways with Interstate 495 south for Virginia 267 west at Exit 45. SR 267 stretches 28.5 miles west from Interstate 66 near Falls Church to U.S. 15 at Leesburg. The extension from Dulles Airport to Loudon County opened in 1995 as the Dulles Greenway toll road.
Exit 45B leaves the left-hand side next for Virginia 267 east to provide access to Interstate 66 east. I-66 east is restricted to HOV-2 traffic during the inbound commutes hours (6:30-9 AM weekdays). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 45B carries drivers onto Dulles Access Road east to McLean (Exit 19) and Interstate 66 east. Interstate 66 spurs into Washington via the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, ending at K Street and the Whitehurst Freeway (U.S. 29). I-495 south meets the freeway directly in 2.5 miles. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Virginia 123 (Chain Bridge Road west / Dolley Madison Boulevard east) meets Interstate 495 at the next interchange (Exits 46A/B). Photo taken 12/30/12.
A full-cloverleaf interchange (Exits 46A/B) joins Interstate 495 with Virginia 123 (Chain Bridge Road) at the first of two Tysons Corner exits. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 46A parts ways with Interstate 495 south for Virginia 123 (Chain Bridge Road) west while a two-lane ramp ascends from the 495 ExpressLanes to Westpark Drive. SR 123 ventures west through Tysons Corner to Vienna and Fairfax. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Virginia 123 (Chain Bridge Road) travels north from Exit 46B into McLean while meeting the Dulles Access Road nearby. The state route follows Dolley Madison Boulevard east to Langley and junction Virginia 193 (Old Georgetown Pike). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Next in line for southbound travelers is the three-quarter cloverleaf interchange (Exits 47A/B) with Virginia 7 (Leesburg Pike). SR 7 leads west 72 miles from Alexandria to Winchester overall. Photo taken 12/30/12.
A c/d roadway facilitates movements to Virginia 7 (Leesburg Pike) from Interstate 495 south. Leesburg Pike consists of a busy arterial route southeast from Tysons Corner into the independent city of Falls Church. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Leaving Tysons Corner, Interstate 495 winds southwest to cross paths with Interstate 66 at a directional-cloverleaf interchange (Exit 49) in 0.75 miles. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Ramps to Interstate 66 west exit from both the Capital Beltway mainline and 495 ExpressLanes. Interstate 66 passes between Vienna and Fairfax en route to Fair Oaks, Centreville and Manassas. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 49 provides access to Interstate 66 west only as SR 267 east already served the eastbound movement to D.C. Interstate 66 travels 76 miles overall between Washington and Interstate 81 near Front Royal. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Southbound Interstate 495 at the dual off-ramps for Interstate 66 west from the mainline and HOT lanes. Interstate 66 is a busy commuter route west through Fairfax County. Metro's Orange Line lines the median of the freeway west to the Vienna/Fairfax Station. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 travels almost due south from Interstate 66, one mile to a full-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard). Photo taken 12/30/12.
There is no direct access to U.S. 29 (Lee Highway) from Interstate 495 south. Motorists are directed to use Exit 50A for the east-west arterial as well. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Reassurance marker posted for Interstate 495 ahead of the U.S. 29 (Lee Highway) overpass. Ramps connect the south side of Lee Highway with the 495 ExpressLanes. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Nearing the Exit 49 off-ramp to U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard) at Merrifield. Photo taken 12/30/12.
A collector/distributor roadway departs Interstate 495 south for U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard) at Exit 50. Travelers along the 495 ExpressLanes see two final departure points before the HOT lanes merge with the mainline ahead of Interstates 95 & 395 (Springfield Interchange). Photo taken 12/30/12.
U.S. 50 interchanges with Virginia Secondary 650 (Gallows Road) to the west at Merrifield. SSR 650 connects Arlington Boulevard with Lee Highway to the north. U.S. 50 otherwise continues west to merge with U.S. 29 at Fairfax. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Gallows Road continues south from its SPUI with U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard) to meet Interstate 495 at the Exit 51 partial-cloverleaf interchange in one half mile. U.S. 50 follows Arlington Boulevard east to Fairview Park, Seven Corners outside Falls Church, and Arlington. Photo taken 12/30/12.
A fifth southbound lane exists between U.S. 50 and Exit 51 to SSR 650 (Gallows Road). Two exits remain along the Capital Beltway ahead of Interstates 95 and 395 in 5.5 miles. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Continuing southeast from Exit 51, Virginia Secondary 650 continues along Gallows Road to Annandale Road and Virginia 236 (Little River Turnpike). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 next meets Virginia 123 (Little River Turnpike) at a full-cloverleaf interchange (Exits 52A/B). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Mill Creek Park lines the west side of Interstate 495 beyond the sound walls and this reassurance marker. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Virginia 236 is a 15.54-mile route between U.S. 29 & 50 in Fairfax and Virginia 400 in Alexandria. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Virginia 236 heads 1.3 miles east to commercial center of Annandale and 4.8 miles to Lincolnia. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Westward from Exit 52A, SR 236 meets Virginia 237 in 2.4 miles at the independent city of Fairfax. Photo taken 12/30/12.
The second Annandale exit joins Interstate 495 south (outer loop) with Virginia Secondary 620 (Braddock Road) in one mile. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 lines the east side of Wakefield Park through to Exit 54 with SSR 620 (Braddock Road). Photo taken 12/30/12.
A flyover ramp elevates from the 495 ExpressLanes to cross over the I-495 southbound mainline to SSR 620 (Braddock Road). SSR 620 leads west to Ravensworth and east to Annandale. First photo taken 12/30/12. Second photo taken 12/30/12.
Two lanes branch away from the I-495 southbound mainline for Braddock Road. Braddock Road leads east to Lincolnia and west to Fairfax Station and SSR 659 (Union Mill Road) near Centreville. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 54 splits into separate ramps for SSR 620 west to George Mason University and east to North Springfield. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 turns southeasterly on the two mile approach to Exits 57A/B (Interstates 95 and 395 north). Photo taken 12/30/12.
A left-hand off-ramp connects Interstate 495 south with the Reversible HOV roadway of Interstate 395 north and Interstate 95 south as the the first of three exits at the Springfield Interchange. Photo taken 12/30/12.
The last southbound shield posted for Interstate 495 before the merge with Interstate 95 north to Alexandria. Photo taken 12/30/12.
495 ExpressLanes conclude at the one mile approach to Interstate 95 south to Richmond (Exit 57A). Photo taken 12/30/12.
Six lanes of Interstate 495 south continue to the multi-level stack interchange with Interstates 95 south and 395 north. The HOV roadway of I-95/395 flows north during the morning peak hours and south during the evening peak hours. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 395 north continues from western Alexandria to Alexandria and the Pentagon before entering D.C. Exit 57A onto I-95 south includes ramps for the adjacent stack interchange with Virginia Secondary 644 (Old Keene Mill Road west / Franconia Road east). Photo taken 12/30/12.
One mile west of the Interstate 395 (Exit 57B) northbound off-ramp on Interstate 495 east (outer). Interstates 95 and 395 comprise a major commuting corridor south to Fredericksburg. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Southbound Interstate 495 at the off-ramp to the reversible HOV-2 roadway. The HOV lanes line the middle of I-395 north to Washington and I-95 south to Dumfries. Construction commenced in 2012 extends the HOV roadway south to Aquia in conjunction with a widening of the existing roadway to three lanes. These projects coincide with a conversion of the lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) status. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 57A expands into a three lane off-ramp for Interstate 95 south to Lorton, Dale City and Woodbridge. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Interstate 495 continues east with three overall lanes through the Springfield Interchange. Previously this movement was numbered as Exit 57C. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 57A leads southward to Interstate 95 at the stack interchange (Exits 169B/A) with Virginia Secondary 644 between Springfield and Franconia. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 57B follows on the I-495 mainline as a two-lane flyover for Interstate 395 north. Interstate 395 travels 9.91 miles to Washington and 13.39 miles overall. Photo taken 12/30/12.
This view shows some of the flyovers associated with the Springfield Interchange. Work to upgrade a modest directional-cloverleaf interchange between the Capital Beltway and Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway took five years and $676 million to build. Photo taken 12/30/12.
A parting view of the Exit 57B separation from Interstate 495 east. Interstates 95 & 495 combine from Springfield east to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Prince Georges County, Maryland. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 169B leaves the I-95 southbound ramp to join the right-hand side of a six-lane distributor roadway from Interstates 95 and 395 south to SSR 644. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Ramps to the Reversible HOV roadway are open either north to Washington or south to Prince William County depending upon time of day. Outside of the morning and evening commuting hours, the lanes vary with the direction they flow. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Exit 169A claims the right-hand lane of Exit 57A for SSR 644 (Franconia Road) east by the Springfield Town Center. Photo taken 12/30/12.
Two lanes from I-495 east combine with traffic from I-395 south as the I-95 southbound mainline lowers from a flyover. Exits 169B/A join the multi-lane ramp for SSR 644 from I-395 south to the right. Photo taken 12/30/12.
