Tolls On Western I-66 Express Lane Segment Begin This Weekend

VIRGINIA — After the I-66 Express Lanes western segment opened to traffic without tolling earlier in September, tolling and high occupancy vehicle rules will begin Saturday. Virginia Department of Transportation and private toll road operator I-66 Express Mobility Partners announced the upcoming change.

The nine-mile stretch of Express Lanes between Route 29 in Gainesville and Route 28 in Centreville opened early on Sept. 10 ahead of the remaining 13 miles of Express Lanes to the Capital Beltway. Starting Saturday, drivers can use the Express Lanes by paying a toll or carpooling with two or more people with an EZ Pass Flex with HOV mode on. Motorcycles can use the Express Lanes for free.

Like other toll roads in Northern Virginia, tolls will be dynamically priced based on traffic volume and speed to manage demand for the Express Lanes, according to VDOT. Toll prices will be displaced on electronic signs that drivers can see before entering the lanes.

Higher toll rates will be charged for larger vehicles and large trucks. Cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks will have the same toll rate.

Tolls may be paid with an EZ Pass transponder or other payment options like by mail, by phone at 833-643-2867, or in person at the 66 Express Lanes Customer Service Center at 7450 Century Park Drive, Manassas, VA. Administrative fees will be charged for payment methods other than EZ Pass.

The HOV-2 designation means two or more people must be in a vehicle to use the lanes for free with an EZ Pass Flex. When the remaining I-66 Express Lanes open in December, the designation will change from HOV-2 to HOV-3. That HOV-3 rule will apply across the I-66 corridor, including the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway.

The new I-66 Express Lanes are accessible from the regular eastbound I-66 lanes before Route 29 in Gainesville and a slip ramp before Route 234 Business. On westbound I-66, Express Lanes are accessible from regular lanes before Route 28. In addition, new ramps provide access from Route 234 Business, Route 28, Braddock and Walney Roads, and two commuter parking lots at University in Gainesville and Century Park Drive in Manassas.

All 22.5 miles of the Express Lanes between Route 29 in Gainesville and the Capital Beltway are on track to be open in December. The project also includes new and expanded park-and-ride lots, interchange improvements, 11 miles of new pedestrian and bicycle paths, and new and improved bus routes. After the lanes open, final construction activities will continue through mid-2023.

For more information about the project, visit outside.transform66.org.