Express lane access northbound
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Topic: Express lane access northbound
Posted By: lauramscott27
Subject: Express lane access northbound
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2012 at 10:08am
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Is there direct access from the I95 North HOV lanes to the new Express lanes? I couldn't find it this morning, or I missed it. I ended up getting off 95 at Springfield, going around the mall & got on the Express lanes before Braddock road. The Express lane website map only references southbound. Or do I need to join the main lanes at the Springfield interchange to find access? I hope not.
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Replies:
Posted By: mpatoka
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2012 at 9:27am
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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.
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Posted By: MrEandJ
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2012 at 10:49am
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YES, it is open. I traveled that way this weekend. Instead of getting off the I-95 North HOV lanes at the merge near Fairfax County Parkway (Exit 166), STAY on I-95 North in the HOV lanes for about 3 miles until you get up to the mixing bowl. You will see a Right Exit sign that says I-95 North Baltimore/495 North Tyson's Corner. That new right exit is now open. Much faster to get on the beltway from the HOV lanes.
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2012 at 12:07pm
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.
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Posted By: mpatoka
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2012 at 7:45am
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I stand corrected. MREandJ and USA are correct, there is an exit to the beltway from the northbound HOV lanes now. As a passenger I usually have my eyes closed when we go through that area so I never saw it and I don't recall any new signage or publicity about it either.
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