VDOT and Transurban 495 NEXT Project receives top transportation award for benefitting local communities

FAIRFAX – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), along with Transurban, private partner and operator of the existing 95, 395 and 495 Express Lanes, today announced their 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension project, known as 495 NEXT, won top regional honors in a 2026 America’s Transportation Awards competition sponsored by the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO). Selected from 34 projects submitted by 11 states in the SASHTO region, the 495 NEXT public-private partnership project was recognized for providing meaningful benefits to the community that are improving quality of life.

The two-and-a-half mile 495 Express Lanes northern extension opened in November 2025 and includes two new dynamically tolled express lanes in each direction on the northernmost section of I-495 (the Capital Beltway) in Virginia. The express lanes extension features new connections at the Dulles Corridor interchange and the George Washington Memorial Parkway interchange before the American Legion Bridge into Maryland, and connects seamlessly with the existing 14-mile 495 Express Lanes and larger 97-mile express lanes network in Northern Virginia.

“I want to thank SASHTO for recognizing and honoring our 495 NEXT project as part of its 2026 America’s Transportation Awards competition,” commented VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich. “The innovative public-private partnership and collaboration between VDOT and Transurban made this critical project possible, enabling Virginia to continue leading the nation and greater Washington region in providing reliable travel options that move more people through congested and unreliable travel corridors, while delivering multimodal benefits that serve the surrounding community.”

By increasing capacity with managed lanes and connecting to the larger express lanes system, the 495 NEXT project is providing new options for relief and more reliable travel on a section of the Beltway that has long been one of the region’s biggest traffic bottlenecks. Benefitting commuters and local travelers, the express lanes are toll-free for vehicles traveling with three or more people (HOV-3+), and for buses. For surrounding communities, the express lanes improve travel on local roads by reducing backups and delays due to an improved Beltway. Within months of opening, average daily trips on the 495 Express Lanes increased by approximately 1,000, indicating early use of the expanded capacity. 

“We are proud to have delivered 495 NEXT with VDOT and to see our investment in the region recognized by SASHTO. The project shows how smart transportation investments can deliver benefits well beyond the roadway,” said Beau Memory, President, Transurban North America. “More reliable travel, new transit service and better walking and biking connections strengthen mobility and connectivity across Northern Virginia.”

Additional features of the 495 NEXT project providing improved quality of life in nearby communities include:

• New multimodal infrastructure including replacement and rehabilitated bridges across I-495 with pedestrian access and connections to nearby trails.
• New, upgraded noise walls to protect nearby neighborhoods. 
• New stormwater management systems and environmental commitments to stabilize stream banks along a nearby Potomac River tributary, to mitigate erosion.  
• Four miles of new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including a paved, shared-use path parallel to I-495 connecting to the local trail system and a nature preserve.
• New 25-spot parking area connecting users with the local preserve and new shared-use trail, featuring resources for bicyclists, including bike racks, an air pump and repair station, and a covered and open-air picnic area with tables and seating. 
• Interstate express bus service connecting Tysons, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland. The new transit service was made possible through a commitment of $5.2 million by the Commonwealth to purchase the buses, $2 million from the project’s Transportation Management Plan for operations during construction, and annual transit payments from Transurban, starting at $2.2 million, to fund continued operations. 

The $660 million 495 NEXT project was delivered through Virginia’s nationally recognized public-private partnership (P3) procurement model. The project benefits travelers and the community by adding new travel options and connections to major employment and commuter corridors, replacing aging infrastructure, funding new transit service, and adding multimodal and environmental improvements. Construction on the project began in March 2022, with work being completed in summer 2026. 

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