Construction crews working on the major rehabilitation project along the George Washington Memorial Parkway have made significant progress and will soon be shifting traffic around, allowing drivers to use brand new lanes.
The parkway’s southbound lanes between Interstate 495 and Route 123 are fixed up and ready to go.
“All the work that went into those areas is completed,” said Caitlin Shinehouse, the project manager. “It’s really our first major milestone for construction.”
That means the work will soon be shifting to the northbound side.
Before the month is over, most of the traffic in that area will be moved over to the southbound lanes, freeing up the northbound side for construction.
“We’ll be starting this weekend, and it’s going to be a phased approach, so it’s going to be lasting a couple of weekends as the project is able to move the traffic from the northbound lanes all the way over to the southbound lanes,” Shinehouse said.
When using the new lanes heading south, drivers will notice a difference.
“What they’re going to see on the southbound lanes is fresh asphalt, so it’s going to be a nice smooth ride,” Shinehouse said. “It’s going to be much nicer.”
The entire $161 million project, which is expected to run through the end of 2025, involves road and bridge work from Spout Run Parkway to I-495.
That stretch of the parkway was originally completed in 1962 and has never undergone major rehabilitation.
It’s the parkway’s busiest section, serving about 26 million drivers every year.
“The project will retain and revive the historic beauty and significance of the parkway — including opening scenic views to Washington, D.C. — while updating aspects of it to improve the driving experience, safety and water drainage,” according to the National Park Service.
Crews are replacing the asphalt pavement, redesigning the Route 123 interchange, repairing stormwater management systems, reconstructing stone walls and roadside barriers and rehabilitating the historic overlooks.
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