Construction begins this spring to add a fourth lane in each direction to Interstate 95 for a 6-mi. stretch between the Fairfax County Parkway/Exit 166 and Route 123/Exit 160 in Virginia.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board has awarded an $85.5 million construction contract to Shirley Contracting of Lorton, Va.

The new lane will significantly improve traffic to and from the recently completed Springfield Interchange. I-95 carries about 250,000 vehicles a day in this area.

Construction will include:

• Widening 10 bridges on I-95 including those over the Occoquan River

• Installing eight new sound walls

• Laying 2.5 mi. (4 km) of storm pipe

• Installing new overhead sign structures and signs

The project will be completed in September 2011.

During construction, motorists can expect some delays in the regular lanes, but minimal delays in the HOV lanes.

Where shoulder lanes have barriers, emergency pull-off areas will be available approximately every mile.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) plans to deploy resources and strategies to ease construction-related congestion and will be coordinating these efforts with the traffic management plans of other Northern Virginia mega-projects.

“Keeping traffic moving smoothly through the region is a top priority to VDOT during these coming years of major highway improvements,” said Ronaldo T. Nicholson, director of mega projects for Northern Virginia.

The total cost of the project is approximately $123 million and includes preliminary engineering, construction engineering, contingencies and construction costs.

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