ARLINGTON — The slip-ramp connecting HOV lanes to regular lanes on I-395 South near the Pentagon will close permanently around June 1, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Drivers wanting to access the southbound regular lanes from the southbound HOV lanes on this stretch of I-395 will need to use the slip-ramp located north of the Pentagon, near Boundary Channel Drive after crossing the 14th Street Bridge from D.C. into Virginia.
Drivers traveling to the Pentagon or Crystal City and non-HOV drivers who missed the exit near Boundary Channel must take the exit at Eads Street. Drivers heading to the I-395 regular lanes should then follow signs to Army/Navy Drive and Hayes Street.
In the morning, southbound drivers traveling on the I-395 HOV lanes from Washington, D.C. should move into the regular lanes immediately after crossing the 14th Street Bridge at the ramp near Boundary Channel Drive. Don’t wait to switch lanes until after passing the Pentagon, as this slip-ramp will be closed.
In the afternoons, HOV drivers traveling southbound from D.C. will experience no changes. Non-HOV drivers, however, need to exit the HOV lanes after crossing the 14th Street Bridge at the ramp near Boundary Channel Drive.
Non-HOV drivers trying to get to I-395 South from the Pentagon should take North Rotary Road to South Washington Boulevard in order to reach the I-395 southbound regular lanes.
HOV drivers trying to get to I-395 South from the Pentagon should take the Eads Street ramp near the Pentagon to get directly onto the I-395 HOV lanes.
To help plan, drivers can find maps, videos and other educational information online.
This planned ramp closure is part of the new I-395 Express Lanes configuration, which will provide eight miles of faster, safer, and seamless travel from the I-95 Express Lanes north to the D.C. line, as well as direct connections to the Pentagon and Crystal City.
The new express lanes are scheduled to open in late October 2019. Information on how Express Lanes work and how to get an E-ZPass can be found online.
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