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Auxiliary lane to ease I-95 bottleneck at Occoquan now open

The new auxiliary lane on southbound I-95 from Route 123 to Prince William Parkway. (Courtesy InsideNoVa/VDOT)

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, InsideNoVa.com, and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.

About a mile and a half of the southbound I-95 right shoulder was converted to a travel lane between the ramp from southbound Route 123 and the ramp to westbound Prince William Parkway.

The auxiliary lane aims to make it easier for drivers to merge into and out of traffic between the ramps.

Southbound I-95 averages about 80,000 vehicles a day in this area, VDOT said in a news release.

“Our team is proud to provide transportation solutions for northern Virginia,” said Bill Cuttler, P.E., VDOT’s Northern Virginia Deputy District Engineer. “This auxiliary ramp will allow drivers to begin exiting one mile earlier, which will make a big difference for drivers caught in southbound congestion.”

Construction on the I-95 Southbound Auxiliary Lane Project began in June 2021, with work still occurring in the coming weeks until final completion. The $23.7 million project is being completed as part of the I-95 Corridor Improvement Plan, and is financed with a portion of the concession fee provided under the 95 Express Lanes Project Comprehensive Agreement.

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