WASHINGTON – With plans for tolls by the end of next year for solo drivers on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway at rush hour moving forward, the Virginia Department of Transportation is offering drivers and others three chances to weigh in this week on what the toll signs and other parts of the project should look like.
The public hearings were initially scheduled for January, but were postponed due to the blizzard.
Now, the hearings about how the variable-pricing will work, where the toll gantries will be, and what the signs will look like will be held this week between 6 and 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The 6:30 p.m. presentation on Monday will be at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. On Tuesday, the hearing will be at Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn, and Wednesday’s hearing will be at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia District Office, at 4975 Alliance Drive in Fairfax.
The Wednesday meeting will be streamed online beginning at 6:30 p.m. for anyone who cannot attend.
Ahead of the January meetings, VDOT released draft projections for the impact of the changes that show a mixed impact for cars at intersections in the area, even as the overhaul plan helps move more people. With as many as half of vehicles on I-66 inside the Beltway now violating High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane rules, the plan would also collect tolls regularly from many drivers, rather than the inconsistently enforced HOV violation tickets of up to $1,000.
There are separate plans for a public-private partnership to build two toll lanes in each direction between the Beltway and Gainesville. Those lanes could open around 2021.
