I-66 Gets New Lane Markings
Motorists traveling Interstate 66 on the 6.5-mile stretch between the Beltway and Route 50 will see some changes to the pavement over the next week that are designed to enhance safety.
Crews are applying a high-friction surface coating to the east and westbound shoulder lanes that function as travel lanes during peak periods. The coating is the color of red clay and will help motorists delineate the part-time lanes from the general purpose lanes.
The shoulder lanes are open to all traffic eastbound from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and westbound from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Overhead green arrows and red X’s indicate when the lanes are open or closed.
To improve the operations of the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, crews have applied a double-white stripe on the HOV lanes at the Route 123 and Nutley Street interchanges. A recent study found that one reason for slow travel times in the HOV lanes is that traffic frequently weaves back and forth between the HOV lanes and the general purpose lanes. The study recommended limiting the locations where drivers can make this lane change with the goal to provide better travel times in the HOV lanes.
DO NOT CROSS DOUBLE WHITE LINES signs will be posted later this summer. Motorists are not permitted to cross the double-white lines at any time, even outside of HOV time periods. VDOT will monitor the new pavement markings to see how they impact traffic operations and safety.
The safety enhancements are part of VDOT’s $48 million pavement rehabilitation project for I-66 which is scheduled for completion in November.
