VDOT News - Northern Virginia

FAIRFAX – A new ramp-to-ramp connection providing direct access from I-66 East to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station is planned to open midday tomorrow, Thursday, July 15. The new I-66 Eastbound direct access ramp connects two existing ramps – the ramp from I-66 East to Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and the ramp from Route 7 East to I-66 East – to allow drivers to reach the eastbound I-66 collector-distributor road adjacent to the Metrorail station's parking garage. This project is part of the I-66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project.

“This direct access ramp will save time for motorists heading to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station and reduce traffic on an often-congested section of Route 7,” said Mark Gibney, P.E., VDOT Design-Build Project Manager. “It makes use of existing VDOT right of way to add multi-modal connections as well as improving safety on Route 7.”

Construction involved adding an additional lane to the exit ramp from I-66 East and widening the bridge over Route 7 to provide room for drivers to merge with vehicles on the existing ramp. When the ramp opens, drivers exiting I-66 East will choose to stay right to reach Route 7 or stay left to reach the West Falls Church Metrorail Station and Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center. Vehicles from I-66 East currently reach the station by exiting to Route 7 East, turning left at the traffic signal onto Haycock Road, then turning left at the traffic signal onto Falls Church Drive.

“VDOT’s Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Project includes multiple multi-modal projects that work together to move more people,” said Bill Cuttler, P.E., VDOT Northern Virginia District Construction Engineer. “These improvements give people more travel options – including as pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders – and make those choices safer and more efficient.”  

The opening is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if inclement conditions occur.

The I-66 Eastbound Widening Project has added a travel lane along four miles of eastbound I-66 (opened in December 2020) and constructed a new bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29) for the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail (opened in March 2021). The project has also installed approximately 12,000 linear feet of new and replacement noise barriers. Remaining work to replace bearings on the I-66 East bridge over Sycamore Street and upgrade traffic signals at Route 29 intersections with Fairfax Drive and Washington Boulevard is expected to be complete later this summer.

The I-66 Eastbound Widening Project is part of VDOT’s larger Transform 66 Program aimed at moving more people along the I-66 corridor more efficiently. The I-66 Eastbound Widening Project is being constructed under an $85.7 million design-build contract by Lane Construction Corporation.

Get real-time traffic conditions and information at www.511virginia.org and through the 511 Virginia app. Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova

The new ramp-to-ramp connection (shown in orange) will provide travelers with direct access from I-66 East to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station.

Drivers exiting I-66 East at Route 7 will stay left on the ramp to reach the West Falls Church Metrorail Station.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.