WASHINGTON — The northbound 95 Express Lanes and Interstate 395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in Northern Virginia are now closing at 10 a.m. weekdays, according to Transurban, which operates the lanes.

The early closure will enable southbound travelers to enter the 95 Express Lanes around 11:30 a.m., an hour earlier than the current schedule.

Overnight weekday HOV reversals will continue to take place from midnight to 2 a.m.

“During summer months, we consistently see much stronger demand in the southbound direction across both the regular lanes and Express Lanes during the late morning period,” said Nic Barr, vice president of operations, for Transurban.

“By providing drivers with an extra hour of access to the southbound 95 Express Lanes, we hope to improve their travel experience and reduce congestion in the adjacent regular lanes. With summer traffic beginning to increase, this is an ideal time to implement the adjusted schedule,” said Barr.

The schedule will remain in place throughout the summer.