UPDATE, 4/14/2023: The start of the new traffic pattern has been postponed due to inclement weather. The new start date is scheduled between April 21 and 24.
Beginning later this month, D.C. area drivers who use the northern section of the George Washington Parkway should plan for delays that are expected to last more than two years.
The section of the GW Parkway between Interstate 495 and State Route 123 is the busiest section of the road. That part of the parkway was completed in 1962 and now, it’s coming under a complete rehabilitation.
To accommodate the road work, a temporary lane in the median will be used as a reversible lane starting April 15, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
During the morning rush, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., two lanes will carry southbound traffic toward D.C. and there will be one lane northbound.
The flow will reverse in the evening rush, from 2:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., with two lanes moving traffic northbound toward Maryland and one lane south.
The most restricted travel will be midday on weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., when just one lane will move in each direction.
The National Park Service estimates that about 26 million drivers use this northern stretch of the parkway each year.
The GW Parkway between the Beltway and Spout Run will get new asphalt pavement, improved stormwater management, rebuilt stone walls and the historic overlooks will be rehabilitated.
The Route 123 interchange will also be redesigned. The speed limit in the area is dropping to 40 mph and the work is not expected to be completed until late 2025.