Interstate 495 / Capital Beltway - Inner Loop

The I-495 Express lanes commence northbound from within the Springfield Interchange.

12/16/16

Traffic from I-95 north and I-395 south combine ahead of the Backlick Road underpass, 1.5 miles from the succeeding ingress point for the I-495 Express Lanes.

12/21/12

An egress point allows motorists from the I-95/395 Express Lanes to merge onto the General Purpose Lanes of I-495 northbound beyond Backlick Road.

12/16/16

Four lanes of traffic from I-95 north and I-395 south combine with the Capital Beltway to briefly swell the Interstate 495 northbound mainline to seven lanes. The I-495 Express Lanes comprise the inner most two.

12/16/16

Dynamic message signs indicate the toll rates charged for the I-495 Express Lanes. Rates vary depending upon time of day and traffic congestion in the General Purpose Lanes.

12/16/16

Interstate 495 north crosses over a Norfolk Southern Railroad line ahead of this reassurance marker.

12/21/12

SR 620 (Braddock Road) meets the Capital Beltway at a three quarter cloverleaf interchange in 1.5 miles.

12/16/16

Sound walls buffer adjacent residences of North Springfield from the Capital Beltway. The I-495 Express Lanes separate from the freeway mainline in 0.75 miles. Trucks are prohibited from using the HOT lanes.

12/16/16

SR 620 (Braddock Road) joins Interstate 495 with the Wakefield Park and Ravensworth communities in one mile.

12/21/12

Interstate 495 curves northward ahead of Ravensworth Industrial Park as the I-495 Express Lanes partition.

12/16/16

Motorists taking the Express Lanes bypass all exits from SR 620 (Exits 54A/B) to U.S. 29 (Lee Highway).

12/16/16

Braddock Road leads west from Interstate 495 to George Mason University, home of the Patriot Center for the Arts, on the south side of Fairfax.

12/21/12

A collector distributor roadway leads to the ramps with Braddock Road from Interstate 495 north.

12/16/16

Exit 54B leaves the I-495 c/d roadway for SR 620 (Braddock Road) east to Annandale and Lincolnia.

12/16/16

Exit 54A departs for SR 620 (Braddock Road) west. Braddock Road comprises a divided boulevard westward to SR 659 (Union Mill Road), where it becomes New Braddock Road to SR 28 at Centreville.

12/16/16

Wakefield Park lines the west side of Interstate 495 from SR 620 northward to Exit 52 / SR 236.

12/21/12

SR 236 branches southeast from where U.S. 50 east combines with U.S. 29 north (Lee Highway) at Fairfax to a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 52 B/A) with I-495 in 0.75 miles.

12/21/12

West from Exit 52 A, SR 236 leads toward the Fairfax Museum and Visitors Center.

12/21/12

Like Exit 54, a c/d roadway separates from I-495 north to SR 236 (Little River Turnpike) at Exit 52.

12/21/12

All traffic to SR 236 departs in unison to the c/d roadway. SR 236 (Little River Turnpike) heads east to the commercial center of Annandale nearby.

12/21/12

SR 236 east concludes at SR 400 (Washington Street) in Old Town Alexandria. Little River Turnpike passes through Lincolnia to become Duke Street at I-395 and the Landmark area of west Alexandria.

12/21/12

Interstate 495 continues north one mile to SR 650 at Exit 51 and 1.25 miles to U.S. 50 / Exits 50 B/A as Exit 52A loops onto SR 236 (Little River Turnpike) west to the independent city of Fairfax.

12/21/12

A reassurance marker follows the return of the c/d roadway from Exit 52.

12/21/12

SR 650 follows Gallows Road north from Annandale Road to meet Interstate 495 at a parclo interchange (Exit 51) in one quarter mile. Exit 50 quickly follows with a c/d roadway to U.S. 50 (Arlington Boulevard).

12/21/12

The first sign posted along the I-495 Express Lanes lists the succeeding exits from the toll lanes as Exit 51 leaves the beltway mainline for SR 650 (Gallows Road). SR 650 turns northward from Exit 51 and parallels I-495 through a series of business and industrial parks at Merrifield.

12/21/12

A ramp connects Gallows Road with the northbound I-495 Express Lanes from within Exit 51. The connection allows motorists from either SR 236 or SR 620 access to the HOT lanes.

12/21/12

Exit 50 is a slip ramp onto the adjacent c/d roadway from Gallows Road. U.S. 50 runs along a short expressway segment within the vicinity of I-495. Exits along U.S. 50 join Arlington Boulevard with Gallows Road to the west and Fairview Park Drive to the east.
The ensuing ramp from the I-495 Express Lanes links with U.S. 29 (Lee Highway) in one mile. A directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 49) with I-66 follows.

12/21/12

The Capital Beltway continues with six northbound lanes from U.S. 50 to Interstate 66. Exit 50 B departs here for U.S. 50 east to Seven Corners by Falls Church and Arlington.

12/21/12

Ramps connect the I-495 Express Lanes with U.S. 29 (Lee Highway) from the south. U.S. 29 splits with U.S. 50 at Fairfax on a parallel course east to Merrifield and the independent city of Falls Church.

12/21/12

U.S. 29/50 combine for 2.8 mile overlap along Lee Highway through Fairfax to the west. Gallows Road and Fairview Park Drive connect Lee Highway with Arlington Boulevard to the south.

12/21/12

Northbound at the I-495 Express Lanes off-ramp to U.S. 29. Motorists along the HOT lanes next see ramps for Interstate 66.

12/21/12

Interstate 66 is a 76 mile route from I-81 near Front Royal to U.S. 29 (Whitehurst Freeway) and K Street in Washington, DC. The freeway east from Exit 49 A is tolled during the morning peak hours except for HOV-3 eligible motorists.

12/21/12

U.S. 29 shield assembly posted along the I-495 Express Lanes exit to Lee Highway between the Interstate 495 roadways.

12/21/12

Reassurance marker for Interstate 495 north posted as the beltway passes by Jefferson District Park.

12/21/12

Ramps to Interstate 66 depart simultaneously from the mainline and HOT lanes. Both exits serve movements to both Interstate 66 east to D.C. and west to Vienna.

12/21/12

Interstate 66 was completed between the Capital Beltway and Theodore Roosevelt Bridge on December 22, 1982, 18 years after the freeway west to U.S. 29 at Centreville opened to traffic.¹ The HOV restriction applies to inbound during the morning and outbound during the evening and affects all lanes of I-66.

12/21/12

An elevated ramp from the HOT lanes splits into separate components for Interstate 66 east to Constitution Avenue (U.S. 50) in Washington and west to Centreville and Manassas.

12/21/12

Exits 49B/A separate into single lane ramps from Interstate 495 north. Interstate 66 winds east with four overall lanes by Falls Church to Rosslyn. Westbound expands to six lanes (two HOV) between Vienna and Fairfax.

12/21/12

SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) converges with the Capital Beltway at Exits 47 B/A in one mile.

12/21/12

A set of transponder readers appear above the I-495 Express Lanes to the left as the mainline passes by a northbound shield for I-495.

12/21/12

The Capital Beltway haa three exits over the course of 2.5 miles for Tysons Corner.

12/21/12

One half mile south of the three quarter cloverleaf interchange with SR 7 on I-495 north. SR 7 runs 71.32 miles overall from Winchester east to Alexandria.

12/21/12

Separate ramps connect with SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) from Interstate 495 north. The state route angles southeast from Exit 47B to I-66 at Exit 66.

12/21/12

A left exit parts ways with the I-495 Express Lanes and spans the mainline to intersect SR 7 (Leesburg Pike) at-grade.

12/21/12

Exit 47 partitions into single lane ramps for SR 7 east to Falls Church and west to Tysons Corner.

12/21/12

A cloverleaf interchange (Exits 46 B/A) follows with SR 123 (Chain Bridge Road) from the mainline. A separate ramp joins the Express Lanes with Exit 46 to Westpark Drive.

12/21/12

A lot of information to digest on this sign bridge as the c/d roadway for Exit 46 branches away from the mainline to the right and the Westpark Drive connector ramp leaves from the left. Travelers on both sections of I-495 continue one mile to SR 267 (Dulles Access & Toll Roads) and two miles to their merge.

12/21/12

Exit 46 B joins SR 123 (Dolley Madison Boulevard) north to McLean. SR 123 forms a nearly 30 mile long arc from Woodbridge in Prince William County to the Chain Bridge into Washington, DC.

12/21/12

A remaining left side ramp from the Capital Beltway mainline, Exit 45 joins Interstate 495 north with SR 267 (Dulles Access & Toll Roads) west to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

12/21/12

SR 123 follows Chain Bridge Road southwest from Exit 46A through Tysons Corner to Maple Avenue in Vienna. A second HOT lane exit for Tysons Corner departs in one quarter mile for Jones Branch Drive at Westpark.

12/21/12

The I-495 Express Lanes splits with ramps for Jones Branch Drive and SR 267 west. Exit 45 from the I-495 mainline follows and joins the HOT lane ramp for the Dulles Toll Road. West from there, a slip ramp provides access to the free Dulles Access Road. The dual roadway facility of SR 267 provides a limited access corridor from Interstate 66 west to Reston, Herndon and Dulles Airport.

12/21/12

Passing by the I-495 Express Lanes off-ramp to SR 267 west. SR 267 travels 28.5 miles overall between I-66 near Falls Church and U.S. 15/SR 7 in Leesburg.

12/21/12

Entering the directional interchange (Exit 45) with SR 267 (Dulles Access & Toll Roads) on Interstate 495 north. The tolled portion of SR 267 has a number of exits west to Reston and Herndon while the free portion defaults to Dulles Airport.

12/21/12

There is no access to SR 267 east as the freeway connects with SR 123 and I-66, routes already served by I-495 north. The Dulles Greenway extended SR 267 west from Dulles Airport in 1995 as a 14 mile toll road to Leesburg.

12/21/12

The I-495 Express Lanes conclude just north of SR 267 and the Lewinsville Road (SR 694) overpass on Interstate 495 north.

12/21/12

An interchange sequence sign posted ahead of the Old Dominion Drive (SR 738) overpass lists the limited access parkways along the Potomac River and the Maryland state line.

12/21/12

SR 193 (Georgetown Pike) converges with the Capital Beltway at a diamond interchange (Exit 44) near McLean. The state route travels from Langley and SR 123 (Dolley Madison Boulevard) westward to Great Falls and SR 7 at Dranesville.

12/21/12

SR 193 (Georgetown Pike) turns westbound from SR 123 (Dolley Madison Boulevard) at Langley, 2.5 miles to Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) at Exit 44. SR 193 east leads toward the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.

12/21/12

SR 193 (Georgetown Pike) continues 6.2 miles west of Exit 44 to Great Falls and 3.1 miles from there to Dranesville. SR 193 passes through Great Falls Park near the Potomac River.

12/21/12

One mile south of the Potomac River crossing into Maryland on I-495 northbound. The interchange sequence sign references the first two Montgomery County off-ramps at Clara Barton Parkway / Exit 41 and MD 190 / Exit 39.

12/21/12

The succeeding exit from the Capital Beltway inner loop joins Interstate 495 with George Washington Memorial Parkway. The parkway is a limited access highway maintained by the National Park Service between the Capital Beltway and Arlington along the western banks of the Potomac River.

12/21/12

An auxiliary lane opens from Exit 44 to George Washington Memorial Parkway south. Live Oak Drive crosses the Capital Beltway a half mile ahead of Exit 43.

12/21/12

Northbound at the trumpet interchange (Exit 43) with George Washington Parkway. The Parkway comprises a commuter route to Washington, D.C. and Arlington via connections with U.S. 29 (Francis Scott Key Bridge), I-66/U.S. 50 (Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge), and I-395/U.S. 1.

12/21/12

Interstate 495 crosses the American Legion Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River and Plummers Island to Cabin John, Maryland. Opened on December 31, 1962, the span was rededicated on May 30, 1969.²

08/04/13

The final remaining state-named shield for the entire inner loop of Interstate 495 (Maryland and Virginia) accompanied a Capital Beltway trailblazer. Capital Beltway signs were posted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but phased out over the ensuing decades.

08/04/13

Interstate 495 connects with Clara Barton Parkway at the north end of the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland. Clara Barton Parkway sraddles the north banks of the Potomac River, meeting Cabin John Parkway (I-495X) at the community of Glen Echo two miles to the east.

12/21/12

A nondescript concrete span carries eight lanes of Interstate 495 at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 41) with Clara Barton Parkway follows.

08/04/13