By KJ MUSHUNG
Traffic is going to be crazy this weekend since it’s the end of Spring Break for some schools. But there might be a better way to get around it if your route takes you along Interstate 495.
The new 495 Express Lanes will be open to drivers this Saturday and Sunday for free. This opportunity is not to relieve Spring Break traffic so much as allow drivers who haven’t tried the lanes and are unsure of how to enter and exit them to give it a go.
No E-ZPass required. Those who have an E-ZPass won’t be charged a toll. Of course, there might be a glitch in the system, but that’s the plan.
The 495 Express Lanes opened on Nov. 17, 2012.
A press release from Transurban Operations says: “Now’s your chance – check out your commute to the office.” But that’s a little difficult to do on a weekend when most people work weekdays. Plus, a weekend at the end of Spring Break is going to skew traffic results.
Nevertheless, it’s free and worth it to become familiar with the express lanes in case you have to use them unexpectedly. The free travel weekend will begin at Saturday, April 6 at 12:01 a.m., and run until Sunday, April 7 at 11:59 p.m.
If you’re interested, go to 495ExpressLanes.com to map your route. There are new exits in Merrifield at Route 29 and in Tysons Corner at Westpark and Jones Branch. The express lanes currently have the following entry and exit points:
-Northern Beltway Access
-Route 267 (Dulles Toll Road and Airport Access Road)
-Jones Branch Drive
-Westpark Drive
-Route 7 (Leesburg Pike)
-Interstate 66
-Lee Highway (Route 29)
-Gallows Road
-Braddock Road
-I-95/I-395/I-495 (Springfield Interchange)
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