WASHINGTON – Virginia officials are apologizing for a message board glitch that told drivers the Interstate 95 High Occupancy Lanes were open to all drivers Monday morning, even though rush hour restrictions remained in place.
A power issue is blamed for the mixed messages posted to the signs at Dumfries Road and Cardinal Drive in the northbound lanes of I-95. The HOV lanes are typically reserved for ridesharing vehicles during certain hours of the morning and afternoon.
“We apologize,” says Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Joan Morris. “That was a real screw up on our part.”
Virginia State Police will not prosecute anyone ticketed due to the mix up, says spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
“It is still the responsibility of the individual who was issued a summons to ensure that their case has been properly adjudicated,” Geller says.
Any driver who received a ticket should hang on to the ticket and should use the tracking number to check that the ticket was dismissed. Use the phone numbers on the back of the ticket to call the court or the trooper and make sure the ticket has been cleared.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOPTraffic and @WTOP on Twitter.
