Lorton, Va. –– It’s been said if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.
Travelers headed to New York City via the Potomac Communities have even more advanced warning on which road to take after a new highway sign was erected in Lorton.
The new sign sits above the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 just past the Purple Heart Bridge over the Occoquan River.
It’s there to tell motorists the exit to New York City will be coming up on the left lane in about eight miles.
It’s a departure from the old signage configuration that had a reputation for leading some drivers astray after they went through the old Springfield interchange.
“Now that the interchange is rebuilt, the exit to get on the outer loop is a left-hand exit, and the signs are there to make sure motorists are aware of that. If someone bound for New York did not catch the left-hand exit, they would be either stuck on 395 and [have to go] through DC or they would take the exit for 495 to Tysons and have to go around the beltway the long way,” said Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Salmon.
New York City is 245 miles from Lorton, and it takes about five hours to get there from here in decent traffic.
As travelers head north on I-95, this new sign is the first on the highway between Richmond and Washington to direct northbound travelers to the Big Apple.