WOODBRIDGE, Va. – Drivers planning to use the Interstate 95 and 395 E-ZPass Express Lanes on Independence Day should be aware of a modified reversal schedule designed to accommodate holiday traffic headed to the nation’s capital.
On Friday, July 4, 2025, the toll lanes will remain in northbound operation until approximately 7 p.m. to support increased traffic traveling into Washington, D.C., for fireworks and other celebrations. The lanes are expected to reopen southbound by around 8:30 p.m. to assist with the return flow of holiday travelers.
The normal summer reversal schedule will resume on Saturday, July 5, with northbound travel in the morning and southbound travel beginning around midday.
The Interstate 95 and 395 E-ZPass Express Lanes are reversible toll lanes designed to relieve congestion on two of Northern Virginia’s most heavily traveled corridors. Spanning over 40 miles from the D.C. line to Fredericksburg, the lanes operate under a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Transurban, which manages tolling and maintenance.
The lanes use dynamic pricing, which means toll rates fluctuate based on real-time traffic conditions to ensure consistent speeds. Vehicles must have an E-ZPass transponder to use the lanes, and those with three or more occupants can travel toll-free with an E-ZPass Flex set to “HOV ON.”
On most days, the Express Lanes operate northbound in the morning to accommodate commuter traffic heading into Washington, D.C., and southbound in the afternoon and evening to handle the outbound rush. However, the schedule can change on holidays and weekends to meet shifting travel patterns.
Motorists are encouraged to check expresslanes.com or use the Express Lanes mobile app for real-time traffic updates, toll rates, and access point information.
Transurban North America, operator of the 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia State Police (VSP) are partnering to launch an innovative defensive driving safety campaign targeted to motorists traveling along interstates 95, 395, and 495.
The campaign uses messaging that urges motorists to drive defensively due to the hazards posed by other travelers’ unsafe behavior, such as speeding, texting, and aggressive driving. The partnership is using results from an initial pilot campaign initiative aimed at Express Lanes users on I-95 and I-495, which showed that positive changes in motorists’ behavior can be achieved through communicating the risk of other drivers’ actions.
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