Express lane access northbound

At this time you cannot get from the I-95 HOV to the 495 Express lanes. I believe those connections will be made once the I-95 HOT lanes are completed. For now you'll have to exit onto the main lanes in Springfield.

Note that you do NOT pay a toll when you use the new connections to the Beltway unless you continue into the new 495 Express Lanes. That is, if you're going northbound in the morning, you take the exit in Springfield for the Beltway and stay to the right on the ramp. It puts you in the left lane of the Beltway. If you do not want to use the 495 Express Lanes, move two lanes to the right.

While you will pass under a toll gantry at the end of the HOV ramp, you won't be charged. I tried it out and can confirm, based on reviewing my E-ZPass account online, that there was no charge for this maneuver.

Incidentally, both of the new HOV ramps in Springfield provide access to and from both directions on the Beltway. Just be aware that if you're planning to exit at Van Dorn Street you have to change all the way across the Beltway in a relatively short time, as the ramp puts you into the left lane coming off the I-95 flyover.

There has really been very little publicity for these new connections and it's too bad, as they are a great asset because they eliminate the need to use the I-95 or I-395 main lanes at all.

The northbound exit comes after the 644 traffic merges on your right. Their merge lane now becomes an "Exit Only" lane leading to the Beltway. The southbound exit comes on the left after you pass under Edsall Road. Note that if you use this ramp, the turns are rather sharp: Slow down until you're used to it.