Remaining I-66 Express Lanes Segment To Open By End Of November

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — After a segment of the I-66 Express Lanes outside the Beltway opened in September, the remaining segment will open on two dates in November.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, theI-66 Express Lanes between Route 28 and the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County will open in the westbound direction around Saturday, Nov. 19. The eastbound direction will open by the end of November.

The Express Lanes are already open between Route 28 and Route 29 in Gainesville.

Another upcoming change will be the transition from HOV-2 to HOV-3 on Monday, Dec. 5. That means vehicles will need to have three or more occupants with an EZ Pass Flex set to HOV mode to use the Express Lanes without a toll. The change will apply to all 22.5 miles of the Express Lanes outside the Beltway, as well as the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway during tolling times and the HOV lane beyond the Express Lanes between Haymarket and Gainesville.

The change to HOV-3 matches other Express Lanes in Northern Virginia. HOV-2 rules will remain before Dec. 5.

The opening of the Express Lanes is the largest milestone in the years-long Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project. Other project features like interchange improvements and construction of a shared-use path next to I-66 will continue into mid-2023 after the Express Lanes open.

For updates on specific project features, visit outside.transform66.org.