Hank Silverberg, wtop.com
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Construction of a new ramp onto the Interstate 395 High Occupancy Vehicle lanes near the Mark Center could begin in the spring.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says an environmental assessment conducted by the Federal Highway Administration found “no significant impact” from the ramp. The assessment’s conclusion means construction can move ahead.
The state will pay $80 million to build the reversible ramp.
It’s considered a key component in relieving some of the traffic congestion created by the relocation of thousands of federal workers to the Mark Center, off I-395 at Seminary Road. Roughly 6,400 workers were relocated to Alexandria under the federal The Base Realignment and Closure plan.
The ramp could be open by the summer of 2015.
Planning is underway for an auxiliary lane on northbound I-395. Construction could begin on that early next spring.
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